To Catch a Dream - Rose's Rangers 1
by Haley Earthstone
Summary: The year is 3025. The Third Succession War has recently ended, though tensions still burn throughout the Inner Sphere. Mercenaries such as the Hunters commanded by Ozpin often conduct raids for their employers. Ruby Rose is an up-and-coming MechWarrior in the Hunters, and will face many trials - not all of which will be against an external foe.
1. Prologue - The Betrayal

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own RWBY or BattleTech/MechWarrior. That is all.

 **A/N:** This is a revision of an idea I came up a year or so ago that never went anywhere until I read **RWBY: Immortals** by **Dongyrn** (good writer, good fic too). I'd also like to give a nod to **Phoenix Commander** , who was of great help in figuring some things out for this idea.

 **PROLOGUE: The Betrayal**

 _Granite Sea Plains, Vacuo_

 _Stewart Commonwealth_

 _Free Worlds League_

 _29 October 3018_

Lieutenant Summer Rose spun her 60-ton _Lancelot_ – her particular machine being a genuine relic of the long-fallen Star League Defense Force – around one of the 'rock towers' that populate the Granite Sea Plains to avoid a stream of autocannon fire. Continuing her spin, she locked her 'Mech's Kinslaughter PPC onto the Marik _Rifleman_ that shot her and gently pulled the trigger, gasping as a wave of heat from the discharge washed through the cockpit before her Double Heat Sinks kicked in and grimacing as the burst of charged particles impacted against the other Heavy 'Mech's torso, penetrating a crack in the armor. It must have been quite a weakness, as the next thing she knew the Marik machine's entire right side exploded, literally sending it flying sideways from the force of its AC ammunition detonating all at once.

"Dust," she swore. Though a MechWarrior of high skill, she always felt saddened about Mankind's eternal need for conflict – though she refused to deny the adrenaline rush she got from piloting her _Lancelot_ in battle. Reaching out, she activated her communications suite.

"Command, this is Stark Actual," she radioed. "Do you copy, over?"

 _"Stark Actual, this is Beacon Actual,"_ replied Colonel Ozpin, CO of the mercenary unit known as The Hunters – Summer's unit. _"You're coming in a bit broken, but still understandable."_

"Roger that," she replied. "I just nailed a Marik _Rifleman_ , so the FWLM presence in the area is removed for now."

 _"That's good, Lieutenant. What's the status of your lance?"_

"Well, Stark Two is missing an arm because he didn't bother to consider that the Marik _Archer_ he charged still had some missiles left, Stark Three is currently scouting for any hostiles while being covered by Stark Four. Minor damage sustained on myself, Three, and Four."

 _"That's good. But recall your lance and form up for a run back to the landing zone."_

"Colonel?" she asked, confused.

 _"We're pulling out, Lieutenant."_

"What about the Lyrans?"

 _"They're already lifting off-world,"_ Ozpin replied. _"The Marik presence here was stronger than they were expecting and the main force was routed with light casualties. So we're pulling out on orders from our liaison as well as on my own authority. You are to link up with Major Salem's lance, as she is closest to your position, and then make your way back to the_ Mountain Glenn _and dust off."_

Summer acknowledged the order, then closed the line and opened up the lance-only channel. "Stark Lance, this is Stark Actual," she called out.

 _"Sun Dragon here. What's up?"_ Taiyang replied.

 _"Yeah, what's up?"_ asked Qrow.

 _"Right here, love. Where the fuck's our backup?"_ demanded her girlfriend, and Qrow's sister, Raven.

"Ozzy's ordered us to link up with Salem and fall back to the landing zone," she replied. "The Lyrans have already pulled back."

 _"Buncha pansies,"_ Raven snorted. _"Fucking social warriors."_

"C'mon, Rae, you forget that I'm a Lyran by birth as well."

 _"But you got better."_ Summer couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Anyways, let's go meet up with Grimm Lance," she said. Raven's growl was easily audible over the channel.

 _"I don't trust that bitch,"_ she snarled. _"I'd trust a Snake or a Capellan before I'd trust her."_

 _"Aw, c'mon, Raven. You're just being paranoid,"_ Tai told her.

 _"Shut it, Xiao Long. She's been sneaking around on us, and meeting up with Marik officers."_

"Raven, are you sure about that? And why were you following her, anyway?" Summer asked.

 _"As sure as ComStar charges too much. And as for why, more than a few unintentionally overheard conversations."_

"Did you tell the colonel?"

 _"He doesn't believe there's enough evidence to support my reports. Personally, I think he just doesn't trust my word because I'm from the Periphery."_

Summer sighed, though she suspected her lover was right; Ozpin, while willing to give anyone who signed on with the Hunters a chance, wasn't too trusting of anyone who hailed from the Periphery. And the Branwen twins came from the Outworld Alliance, which was actually one of the better Periphery States. Plus, Salem was the first person he'd recruited when he initially formed the Hunters as a mere BattleMech Company almost two decades ago. Shaking her head, she said, "Regardless, though, we need to get moving. We'll talk to the colonel after we dock with the _Beacon_. Stark Lance, let's move out!"

*Crossover*

Raven's FRB-2E _Firebee_ – an ancient 'Mech she'd admitted she'd stolen from House Liao as she and her brother made their way to Galatea – ranged ahead of the lance, just outside the effective range of Summer's weapons, to keep electronic surveillance of the area. The 35-ton Light 'Mech had been modified to remove the four SRM-2s and 2 tons of ammo in favor of an SRM-6 with a single ton of ammunition and a pair of Medium Lasers. Its top speed of 86kph made it slower than Summer's own LNC25-01, but then her Heavy 'Mech was one of the few Star League-era relics still functioning with its original tech. Marching behind Summer was Taiyang in his 50-ton _Hunchback_ , it's name derived from the mounting of the massive AC/20 on its right shoulder. Its left shoulder sparked occasionally as a result of the missile salvo that had messily separated the arm from it. Bringing up the rear of the line was Qrow's 45-ton Blackjack, both of its arms up in the ready position, the AC/2s in each arm not considered a threat to many BattleMechs but sufficient against vehicles and aircraft (including Aerospace Fighters).

 _"Sum, I'm picking up fusion reactor signatures a kilometer ahead,"_ Raven reported. _"Four of them. Pretty sure it's the bitch's lance."_

"Alright, Raven," Summer said with a sigh. "Let's keep alert, though; last report from Overwatch said that there was a company of Marik 'Mechs in the area." In the cockpit of her 'Mech, Raven shook her head. _The Mariks aren't the only ones I'll be keeping an eye on_ , she thought, as the distance closed and the electronic signatures resolved themselves into a massive 100-ton _Atlas_ (Salem), a 60-ton _Dragon_ (Cinder) that was salvaged from a Combine battlefield, a 55-ton _Scorpion_ (Tyrian), and a 65-ton _Crusader_ (Hazel). The pit of foreboding in Raven's gut worsened as Stark Lance drew closer to Grimm Lance. While Salem's 'Mech retained the massive AC/20 of the standard AS7-D, it had downgraded the LRM launcher from a 20-tube system to a 15-tube and replaced all four Medium Lasers with a Large Laser in each arm. The red-eyed woman (an eye color unique to her homeworld, and a result of environmental factors as well as genetics) discretely armed her weapons but kept her T&T (Targeting and Tracking) system on standby; she didn't want to tip off the other lance. Her LRM-10 launcher still had a full ton of ammunition left, including the ten missiles already in the tubes, and single Large and two Medium Lasers were charging. She discretely moved her targeting reticule over the outline of the _Atlas_ 's head, its coloration remaining gray without an active target lock, as Salem spoke over the company channel.

 _"It's nice to see you, Stark Lance,"_ the older woman spoke in the elegant, noble-sounding tone that was her normal voice.

 _"Likewise, Major,"_ Summer replied. _"Did you get the orders?"_

 _"I did indeed. It proves that we should have accepted the League's offer two months ago."_

 _"That would have had us breaking our contract with House Steiner, Salem, and you know we don't do that,"_ Summer told her. Her _Lancelot_ 's torso rotated to the left, towards where Grimm Lance had come from. _"We should get moving before Marik troops get here. Any idea what Maiden Lance's ETA-"_ That was all Summer had time to say before a beam of red energy lanced from the left arm of Salem's 'Mech and hit the 'face' of the _Lancelot_ , being mostly stopped by the viewscreen, though the 60-ton Heavy 'Mech staggered back and sideways, swaying like a drunk that was two drinks away from passing out. The rest of Salem's lance moved to support her, but not before Raven fired off her full complement in an Alpha Strike that nearly caused her 'Mech to shutdown from overheating. Three lances of energy and six missiles slammed into the armored skull-crafted head of the Assault 'Mech, making it stumble backwards as a burst of autocannon fire raked across the low-slung body of Tyrian's _Scorpion_.

"Tai! Qrow! We've got to get to Summer! Now!" Raven shouted, firing off her SRMs as soon as the tubes reloaded, the flight of six again impacting against the head of Salem's _Atlas_ right as a burst of autocannon fire knocked her sideways, fortunately out of the path of a burst of charged particles from a PPC. Torso-twisting, she discharged her Large Laser into Cinder's _Dragon_. Taiyang's _Hunchback_ tore past her, its AC/20 slamming a burst into the heavier _Crusader_ and ripping away its right arm, taking away half of the multi-role 'Mech's firepower. Raven's 'Mech didn't carry enough armor to survive a head-on engagement with even one of the 'Mechs in Grimm Lance, but she would not abandon Summer. "Command, this is Stark Three! Grimm Lance has turned on us! I repeat, Grimm Lance has turned on us!"

 _"Stark Three, what are you-"_

"Can it, Ozpin! Summer's down! Salem blindsided her with a headshot!" Raven interrupted furiously, then transmitted her combat data in a microburst to the _Union_ -class DropShip Ozpin was currently running the unit from. There was a minute of silence before he spoke.

 _"I'm diverting our Aerospace assets to your location, but I'm not getting a response from Nevermore Flight. I've diverted Axe Company to your location."_

"They won't make-" Suddenly twin flashes lit up the right side of her cockpit and Raven turned to see Cinder's _Dragon_ drop to its knees, smoke rising from its center torso-mounted LRM launcher. Turning her 'Mech, she saw Summer's _Lancelot_ painfully rising to its feet as its PPC discharged into the _Atlas_ 's head, making the 100-ton machine stagger. Looking over she saw smoke rising from rents in the armor of Tai's _Hunchback_ and watched as Qrow slammed his _Blackjack_ 's left arm down onto the top of Tyrian's _Scorpion_. Her electronics detected a scrambled transmission, and Grimm Lance began falling back. She fired off another SRM salvo, watching as the flight slammed into the side of the turning _Dragon_. The heavier machine paused for a moment before twisting its torso and triggering an autocannon burst that, by a stroke of luck, staggered across the _Firebee_ 's slender legs, making the Light 'Mech stumble and fall.

The _Dragon_ itself staggered and stumbled as it was hit by bursts of laser fire from a pair of strafing CSR-V12 _Corsair_ AeroFighters. As the 50-ton aerospace fighters pulled up, the _Dragon_ reoriented itself and followed after the rest of its lance as Raven brought her Light 'Mech back to its feet, screaming in helpless anger as she started to pursue the traitors, only to hesitate in mid-step as she caught sight of Summer's 'Mech. The 60-ton _Lancelot_ slowly sank to its knees as Axe Company, led by Peter Port's 65-ton _Axeman_ , approached. Raven limped over to her lover's slumping machine, losing track of everything else around her as Tai took over, coordinating with Port to set up a defense against any approaching Marik forces while one of the Hunters's Prime Haulers was escorted from the LZ to their location by two of their armor lances. As her damaged 'Mech approached Summer's, her mind awash in flashes of their lives from the moment they met until just before the mission, she didn't hear the comm traffic going on, didn't hear the reports that Salem's complete company had commandeered their own DropShip and was boosting for orbit under escort by Marik fighters as well as the Hunters's two _Shilone_ bombers. All she could focus on was the fallen _Lncelot_ before her.

 _Hunters DropShip_ Signal _,_

 _Boosting for Nadir Jump Point,_

 _Vacuo System, Stewart Commonwealth_

 _Free Worlds League_

 _29 October 3018_

Ruby was sitting in the cabin she shared with her sister Yang aboard the DropShip _Signal_ , reading the technical manual for the _Lancelot_ while said sister was laying on the bottom bunk in the room bouncing a ball off the wall. The sound didn't really bother Ruby as she had learned early on to tune out anything distracting. While usually not a studious person, Ruby had a – according to her sister – rather unhealthy obsession with 'Mechs and weapons and could spend hours pouring over files on her datapad. Her preference, as expected, was with her mom's LNC25-01, named _Rose's Thorn_ ; besides being her mom's, her reasoning was that since it was a LosTech relic she needed to know how to maintain its highly advanced Exra-Light engine, Double Heat Sinks, and its KBC Model 3 Targeting and Tracking System.

"Ruby, relax, okay?" Yang said, knowing just how tense her sister was.

"I am relaxed," the crimsonette replied, her tone having a slight edge.

"Look, I know you're tense because you haven't thumbed the screen in ten minutes," she commented, making her sister sigh. "Ruby, it's okay. I'm worried about them, too."

"It's just…" Ruby set her pad down and looked over at Yang. "I heard some of the crew saying that Mom's _Lancelot_ was dragged onboard by a Prime Hauler."

"Well….that could just mean actuator damage," Yang hesitantly replied.

"I don't know, sis; I've got a bad feeling about this." Before anything more could be said, the door to their cabin opened up and they looked over to see Raven standing in the doorway.

"Mother?" the two said at once; Yang was Raven's biological daughter, with her ex Tai, while Ruby was her daughter with Summer (though biologically it was thanks to Raven's brother Qrow that Ruby was conceived; he'd done it to help out his sister and best friend). "Where's Mom?" Ruby asked. Though only 12 years old, Ruby had been pretty much raised in The Hunters and so had an understanding of things most wouldn't until their mid-teens. Raven's expression when Ruby'd asked about Summer had told her everything.

She wouldn't be seeing her mom again.

 **E/N:** And that's that. I feel bad about Summer, but it had to be done. Also, **Phoenix Commander** is my Beta for this fic. I know I have a couple of open-ended/unfinished fics up on FF, but right now I'm not feeling a pull to them and I'd rather not write in them without that pull, otherwise I could probably turn out something less than stellar. Also, this story will be the only new one I'll be posting to FF; I'm shifting over to AO3 for all of my other new fics – though I will eventually finish my open ones on FF. And my penname on AO3 is the same as it is on FF, so I should be easy to find. I had edit this chapter to correct a time-stamp issue with Raven's 'Mech.


	2. 1 - Seven Years Later

**A/N:** That prologue was a bit hard to work through; not because I had trouble writing it, but because of what I had to do to Summer. I asked **Phoenix Commander** to be my Beta for this fic, and they agreed! Which is awesome! I really enjoy their RWBY fics, and I recommend them.

 **1 – Seven Years Later**

 _DropShip_ Eisenfaust _, JumpShip_ Weißer Berg _,_

 _Nadir Jump Point,_

 _Pencader en route to Poulsbo,_

 _Alarion Province, Lyran Commonweatlh_

 _14 May 3025_

Hauptmann Weiss Schnee sat in her cabin aboard the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces DropShip _Eisenfaust_ (or "Iron Fist" when translated into English), looking over the personnel files and TO&E (Table of Organization and Equipment) of her command. While nominally supposed to share a cabin space with at least another hauptmann, her family name had given her the 'privilege' of a private cabin aboard the massive _Overlord_ -class vessel. The 9700-ton starship was capable of carrying a full battalion of 36 BattleMechs, with a full squadron of AeroSpace fighters – 3 Aero Lances of 2 AeroFighters each – for air cover, and Weiss was one of the company commanders. Unlike most graduates of the Nagelring Military Academy on Tharkad, the Atlas-borne Weiss Schnee didn't graduate with the rank of Leutnant or even First Leutnant (the lowest command rank in the LCAF, a lance/platoon commander); she was given the rank of hauptmann (the equivalent of captain within the Commonwealth's ally-state of the Federated Suns). It was the rank she had felt she had truly earned, even though she had been marked for commandant (or major, a battalion command rank). That had more to do with her name – as one of _the_ Schnees of the Schnee Defense Company, Atlas's premier military manufacturing company as well as one of the major military contractors for the Coventry Province – than her skills as a leader and MechWarrior, and she had vehemently declined it. _That_ had lead to a row with her father, one in which she'd forced him to acquiesce by threatening to remove as heiress to the SDC. To defuse the situation, she'd accepted his 'gift' of a brand-new ZEU-6T _Zeus_ built by the SDC under license from Defiance Industries of Hesperus II.

"Not that I _wanted_ such a machine," she muttered to herself as she scrolled down from the personnel files of her company to the equipment and began looking over the other eleven BattleMechs under her command. Unlike a lot of Lyran MechWarriors, Weiss actually preferred lighter-weight machines as opposed to the Heavy and Assault-class 'Mechs many of her contemporaries preferred. It was often joked that a Lyran scout lance was composed of Medium-class 'Mech and three Heavy-/Assault-class 'Mechs. Although more than capable of handling such 'Mechs, she was against the mindset of being able to take damage in order to dish it out. Like most academy MechWarriors, she'd started out on the 50-ton CLN-7V _Chameleon_ , a Medium-class BattleMech intended specifically for training and had found she liked its speed and mobility. The deliberately low number of Heat Sinks, combined with the high number of heat-inducing weapons, had been meant to teach MechWarriors about proper heat management and staying mobile – which was aided by the McCloud Specials Jump Jets – but the snow-haired young woman didn't mind that; she preferred the elegance (as she saw it) of laser weapons over missile launchers and autocannons. Her callsign of "Ice Queen" had been earned not only by her 'frigid' personality towards her fellow cadets, but also because she never lost her cool under fire and rarely had her 'Mech overheat on her.

Shaking her head, she pulled out of her reverie and focused on the data before her. Her command lance consisted of her 80-ton _Zeus_ – which she left unnamed – as well as a second _Zeus_ (this one an -6S model rather than a newer -6T like hers), a 95-ton BNC-3E _Banshee_ (she snorted at the thought of such a heavy machine mounting an armament better suited to a Heavy or a really burly Medium), and a 65-ton TDR-5S _Thunderbolt_. This had three of her four 'Mechs mounting LRM launchers, making them more ideal for long-range combat, though the _Thunderbolt_ 's loadout also made it well-suited for shorter ranged warfare like the _Banshee_. She made a notation in the file to work her lance as fire support, dependent upon further review, and moved on to her second lance. Its heaviest machine, surprisingly, was an ARC-2R _Archer_ ; its main firepower was the pair of LRM-20 launchers, though with each arm mounting a Medium Laser as well as a battle fist it was no slouch in shorter-range combat, and the 2 rear-facing Medium Lasers covered the 70-ton machine's back. Supporting it were a pair of 55-ton GRF-1F _Griffin_ s, each mounting a PPC and an LRM-10 (personally, Weiss despised the _Griffin_ , as she felt it was a weak design as it had no short-range weapons – beyond two battle fists for melee combat – and mounted its only two weapons on the right side). Rounding her second lance was an HCT-3F _Hatchetman_ , a rather slow-for-its-weight Medium BattleMech that was armed with an AC/10, a pair of Medium Lasers, and the large hatchet that gave the 'Mech its name. She sighed as she realized her company was geared more towards long-range, indirect fire support and moved on to her last lance.

"Well, this is a surprise," she muttered. Her third and final lance was obviously influenced by the Federated Suns as it consisted of a CN9-A _Centurion_ (a 50-tonner that carried an AC/10 in the right arm as its main weapon), a pair of ENF-4R _Enforcer_ s (another 50-ton design that carried an autocannon – also an AC/10 in this case – as its main weapon), and a single VLK-QA _Valkyrie_ , a thirty-ton Light BattleMech that was armed with an LRM-10 and a Medium Laser, with five Jump Jets for mobility. While all of her machines were able to, in some way, fight at shorter ranges, it was obvious her company was meant to provide long-range cover for the rest of the battalion. A klaxon sounded, jerking her attention away from her datapad; she realized that it was merely the jump alert. Which meant that the _Star Lord_ -class JumpShip the _Eisenfaust_ was docked with, the _Weißer Berg_ (or "White Mountain" in English) had finished the long process of stowing its jump sail and was ready to make the last jump to Poulsbo, where her company and its battalion were being stationed. Moving over to her bunk, Weiss laid down and strapped herself in; it was a secret, known only to her family, that she suffered from a mild form of Transit Disorientation Syndrome and laying down – along with a small dose of dralaxin – mitigated her symptoms for the most part.

 _I hate hyperspace jumps_ , she thought.

*Crossover*

Union _-class DropShip_ Forever Fall

 _Combat approach to Harvest,_

 _Rasalhague Military District,_

 _Draconis Combine_

 _13 May 3025_

"Captain Vernal, could you just shut off the comm unit?" Ruby asked as the _Forever Fall_ 's communications system indicated yet another incoming transmission from Ozpin aboard the _Beacon_. With a sigh, the older woman motioned for one of the bridge officers to turn off the _Fall_ 's communications array.

"Ruby, you know we're disobeying orders to make this burn," the brunette reminded her.

"Ozpin can kiss my ass," she replied; it was obvious that in the past seven years Ruby still had an axe to grind with the commander of their mercenary unit. Of course, to everyone that personally knew her it wasn't a surprise, as the crimsonette – once she'd learned the circumstances of her mother's death – blamed Ozpin for what had happened. After all, he'd known Salem longer than anyone, had gotten reports of her meeting in secret with Marik officials and officers from Raven, and he'd been the one to order Summer to link up with the Betrayer's lance.

"Ruby, as much as I prefer independent operations, Ozpin _is_ our commanding officer, and disobeying orders isn't a good thing," Vernal told her.

"We were ordered to conduct a raid on Harvest, and that's what we're doing," Ruby said. Vernal sighed.

"You're just lucky the company commander agrees with you in this instance." The 19yro in the red and black jumpsuit nodded in agreement, as she knew that Major Amber – groundpounders with the rank of captain always got a temporary brevet to major when aboard a ship, as there can only be one captain – distrusted Ozpin a bit, as her personal lance had been the first to suffer from Salem's betrayal, but for the most part still trusted him somewhat. In the case of the raid on Harvest, Ozpin wanted to wait and discretely gather intel, but Amber agreed with Ruby that it was best to strike hard and fast while the Combine was in the process of redeploying its House units from the world to replace them with militia units and a pair of mercenary commands. They were aiming to drop onto the continent of Ohio, where most of the major cities and industries were located. Harvest's main industry was agricultural, with some on-world electronics and manufacturing. Ruby had suggested that they deploy to disrupt the military forces on-world, but cause minimal disruption to the local industries. Snatching some shipments marked for the Draconis Combine would be a plus.

"Well, better head down to your 'Mech, kid," Vernal went on. "We're at the point for our de-orbit burn. Ruby nodded and left the DropShip's bridge, aware of the older woman watching her leave. As the bridge doors closed, the brunette felt a wave of sorrow wash over her. _That girl is carrying a lot of pain in her_ , she thought sadly. _She's found a channel for it, but sooner or later I'm afraid it'll destroy her._

*Crossover*

 _Mech Bay, DropShip_ Forever Fall

Ruby drifted into the _Forever Fall_ 's Mech Bay, seeing that everyone in there was either prepping the twelve BattleMechs of Ranger Company or strapping in for the coming de-orbit. As she drifted over to her 'Mech, the same _Lancelot_ her mother once piloted, she saw Yang standing near her _Hunchback_ , clad in a yellow sports bra and black shorts, her cooling vest on but open, as she argued with her Tech about the 'Mech, and Amber was climbing into the cockpit of her THE-10E _Thug_. A heavier 'Mech than her own, it was nevertheless well suited to her. Approaching her _Lancelot_ , which she'd renamed _Crescent Rose_ after she'd rebuilt what damage it had suffered, she shrugged out of her jumpsuit – having already been wearing her MechWarrior togs underneath it. After all, even with a cooling vest, a 'Mech's cockpit can get hot in combat so MechWarriors tended to wear as little in the cockpit as possible. Ruby had heard of some pilots who nothing more than the cooling vest when piloting, but she couldn't bring herself to do that.

"Hey, Rubes!" she heard her sister shout. Looking over, she grinned at the blonde waving at her wildly and returned the wave. "We're gonna some action today!"

"Not too much, I hope," she replied. "After all, it's just our company going down there, with a full regiment of veteran mercs waiting."

"Aw, don't be such a downer, sis! We pop it in, shoot a few Snakes, then pop out."

Ruby sighed and then said, "Just be careful, okay?"

Yang came over to her and pulled her into a hug. "Hey, I'll be fine, alright? I've got you watching my back." Ruffling Ruby's hair, she moved back over to her _Hunchback_ and climbed in. Unlike Ruby, her half-sister didn't use one of her parents' 'Mechs; her _Hunchback_ , while the same model as her dad's, was actually salvaged from a battlefield in the Capellan March and rebuilt. Yang had actually dropped the Small Laser and a half-ton of armor to increase the size of her autocannon's ammo bin. As Ruby accepted her cooling vest from the Tech assigned to her, she gazed up at the 60-ton 'Mech before her. When it was her mom's, it had borne a white and red paint scheme; now, it was mostly black with red and gray trimming on it. The cockpit viewscreen she'd had polarized to silver, making it match her and her mom's eye color. _Don't worry, Mom_ , she thought as she climbed up and strapped herself in, hearing and feeling the rumble of the _Forever Fall_ 's drives lighting up, _I'll get that bitch who killed you. One of these days, I'll put her in my crosshairs and watch as she dies under my guns._

A bit further away in the 'Mech Bay, the pilot of an _Spider_ , the -5V model, watched as the crimsonette MechWarrior disappeared into the cockpit of a much heavier _Lancelot_. The amber eyes of the raven-haired girl had tracked the younger warrior as she'd entered the bay, conversed with the blonde that commanded the lance the amber-eyed warrior was assigned to, and then parted with her. She could sense, even from this distance, the heavy burden the other woman bore, as well as the strength of her spirit – even if said spirit was fragile right now. _One day_ , she thought _, you'll overcome that pain. Unless you fall prey to it and allow it to consume you._

" _Dragon Two? Are you awake over there, Blakey?"_ came the voice of Yang over her commline. Sighing, the Combine expatriate opened her own system and replied.

"I've asked you not to call me that, _Chu-I_ Xiao-Long," she replied, her Combine accent still noticeable.

" _I'm just kitten with ya,"_ came the reply, drawing a groan from her. Yang liked to liken her to a feline, and had even made some cosmetic additions to Blake's _Spider_ to make it seem like it had feline ears and claws on its battle fists' fingers.

It was perhaps rather telling that, even after being with the Hunters for a year, Blake had yet to remove them.

*Crossover*

 _Golden Plains, Ohio Continent_

 _Harvest, Rasalhague Military District_

 _Draconis Combine_

 _13 May 3025_

Because Ruby had insisted upon ignoring orders and heading out immediately, Amber had placed her in charge of the operation – which also included responsibility for it. The crimsonette hadn't been expecting that, either of those really, but knew that was the point. Ranger was definitely a mixed-bag of 'Mechs: the Command Lance consisted of Amber's 80-ton _Thug_ , a 75-ton _Orion_ , a 65-ton _JagerMech_ , and the modified _Dervish_ piloted by Pyrrha Nikos, a 21-year-old pilot hailing from the Crucis March of the Federated Suns (she was a recent addition to the Hunters, having been picked up shortly after graduating from Mistral's Sanctum Academy); Ruby's Rose Lance had her in her mom's _Lancelot_ , Coco Adel in her 75-ton _Marauder_ , Yatsuhashi in his 70-ton _Warhammer_ , and Jaune in a 60-ton _Rifleman_ (watching him in simulations had her wondering just how the guy had even been allowed _look_ at a 'Mech, much less get into one's cockpit); and rounding things out was Dragon Lance, led by Yang in her modified _Hunchback_ , with Blake's 30-ton _Spider_ , Ren in a modified 40-ton _Assassin_ , and Nora in her modified _Swayback_ ( _Swayback_ s being _Hunchback_ variants that replace the AC/20 with another weapons system). She had deployed Blake and Ren as scouts, considering the high speeds of their 'Mechs, while holding back Yang and Nora as their 50-ton 'Mechs were much slower than the two of their lancemates.

Ruby also had a feeling that there was more to Amber's picking her to lead the mission than she'd let on, but hadn't had a chance to question the woman on it.

" _Strike Lead, this is Recon One,"_ Blake's voice came over the commline. _"Kurita convoy sighted. Escort consists of a full armor company with a 'Mech lance in support."_

"Okay, Recon One," Ruby replied. "Shoulda thought up better codenames," she added to herself, before keying her comm again. "You and Recon Two pull back to the rest of the company. We'll hit the escorts hard and fast."

" _Hai, Strike Lead,"_ was the response. Closing that channel, Ruby opened one up to the rest of the company.

"Alright, everyone, we've got incoming. We know the Kuritans tracked us coming in, and that because of our location they'll have to scramble a DropShip to get heavier assets out here. That'll give us time to ambush this convoy and grab the cargo."

" _What's the plan, Ruby?"_ Amber asked.

"Well, uh, our long-range assets can hit the 'Mechs with LRMs and PPC fire to disorient them and soften them up, then our faster ones can dash in and knock them down."

" _And the armor?"_

"Turn Nora and Yang on them?"

" _As…dangerous as that is, you can't just rely on two 50-tonners to take on a full company of armor."_

"Um…."

" _Here's some advice, Ruby. Have Blake and Ren hold back in low-power mode until the escort's rearguard gets past them. Deploy your slower assets as to hold the line and slip the faster ones around the flanks."_

"That makes sense," she replied, feeling a depressed.

" _Don't worry about it, Ruby. This is your first time commanding anything larger than your lance. You can't always rush in and hammer things hard-"_

" _Why not?"_ Nora interrupted.

" _-and a good leader is willing to accept advice from her more experienced subordinates."_

"Okay. So….I want Nora and Pyrrha on either side of the convoy, and I want Coco and Yatsu – and you, Amber – ready with your PPCs to hit those 'Mechs hard. The rest of us will handle the tanks and any air assets."

" _Good calls, Ruby. Alright, everyone, deploy as ordered. Remember, cover each other and pull out if things get too hot; we don't need anyone dying here."_

Ruby side-stepped out of the way of a burst of autocannon fire, her 'Mech's unique and narrow profile offering a harder target. Twisting her torso, she locked onto the Tokugawa tank that had fired and triggered her PPC, the burst of charged particles slamming into the upper deck of the heavy tank's hull and slagging the armor. She followed it up a shot from her left arm's Large Laser, punching through the rest of it armor and into the fuel cell for its I.C.E. Ruby was already shifting for another target as the 60-ton armored vehicle exploded, killing its crew of four. She watched as another Kurita tank, this one a Bulldog, shuddered to a stop as smoke wafted from the rents in its armor.

" _That was the last one, Rubes,"_ Yang said.

"Alright. Let's get this convoy back to the DropShips fast," Ruby ordered. A chorus of affirmatives sounded over her comm, and Ranger company – at weapons point – got the captured vehicles moving out.

Overhead, flying in an overwatch position, were the two _Corsair_ s assigned to the _Forever Fall_. Its sleek design made it just as maneuverable in atmosphere as it was in space, and its compactly designed laser array supported by 16 heat sinks kept it a constant threat. On the nose of the lead 50-ton fighter was a heart that looked like it had been stitched back together, the parts of the heart brown while the 'stitches' were the same color as the fighter's hull. Almost unnoticed, though, was a uniquely designed rose right beside the pilot name painted underneath the cockpit seam.

" _The skies look clear, Velvet,"_ came the voice of the lead _Corsair_ 's wingman, Fox Alistair. The flight's leader activated her own comm.

"Only for now, Fox," she replied. "Don't forget the ground pounders are expecting enemy reinforcements, which means a DropShip or two."

" _We're not ship-busters, El-Tee."_

"We'll still try," she argued, her natural accent ever more noticeable the more emotional she got.

" _Of course we will, Velvet."_ There was silence for a moment. _"She still hasn't noticed you, has she?"_

"I…she…we're on duty, Fox," Velvet stammered, flushing in embarrassment. Her wingmate and friend chuckled, pretty much able to sense her blushing.

" _Fair enough, but that isn't always the case."_

"I….I don't want to push her, Fox."

" _Maybe that's just what she needs. Besides, painting her personal emblem underneath your canopy rail isn't as subtle as you think."_

"Eyes on the sky, Sergeant," she said, her words rushed.

" _Aye, aye, Lieutenant,"_ came the mirthful replied. As they continued circling over the company below them, Velvet couldn't help her thoughts turning towards the crimsonette amongst them. While she hadn't been forthright about her attraction to the somewhat younger woman, she hadn't exactly been subtle, either. She would admit, privately and only to herself, that she was a little upset that Ruby hadn't noticed her yet – or at least hadn't made it known – but she couldn't really do anything about it. She had only been with the Hunters for three years now, and so had only heard about the Betrayal. How it had ripped apart the mercenary command….and how it had taken Ruby's parents from her; one by death, the other by vengeance. Velvet Scarlatina was a sensitive soul, and was good at reading people, so she could tell Ruby's pain was deep. She could also see that it remained as fresh as the day it had happened, causing her heart to go out to the tormented young woman.

"Ruby…." she sighed, banking her fighter again. She had it bad for the Lyran, she knew that, and would do whatever she could to help her out.

 **E/N:** Wow. I honestly didn't expect this chapter to get this long, but that's a good thing. Now we are seven years after the events of the prologue, and have met all of the RWBY girls now. I hope I'm covering the 'Mechs and all so that anyone not familiar with BattleTech can pick it up. Until next time.


	3. 2 - Past Shadows in the Present

" _It is the 31_ _st_ _century,_

 _And mankind is once again at war._

 _The battlefields of the future_

 _Are dominated by huge robotic war machines_

 _Known as BattleMechs._

 _Piloting these awesome weapons of war_

 _Are men and women, the elite of the elite,_

 _Knowing each battle could be their last._

 _They are…._

 _MechWarriors."_

~MechWarrior 3 Opening Text

 **2 – Past Shadows in the Present**

 _Castle Grimm, Shadow Plains_

 _Epsilon, Stewart Commonwealth_

 _Free Worlds League_

 _20 May 3025_

The woman known only as Salem stood at the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling window of her office, staring out at the barren landscape that surrounded the base. While the majority of the world was actually an attractive place, Salem found that the Shadow Plains appealed to her far more. It wasn't for the reasons rumors have said, either; she just found places that looked alive and lively to be weak and pathetic. She felt the same about people, for the most part. After her experiences in life, she found that death was the one true absolute. Death and power. To bring about the former, she needed to acquire the latter. Which was what had led to her split with Ozpin and his pathetic Hunters.

"Well," she spoke to herself, "perhaps I do have one regret about that time. I should have used my autocannon rather than the laser." The faint pulsing in her head was easily ignored now after seven years; after all, that was plenty of time to get used to the implants used to fix her eyes from the damage caused by the flash-plating of her _Atlas_ 's cockpit failing and allowing her eyes to directly experience the visual impact of the PPC blast from Summer's _Lancelot_. The Free Worlds League's medical specialists weren't quite good enough to fully restore her vision, but a group of Capellan medical specialists had been visiting the facility she'd been taken to, and had used some radical cybernetic procedures to finish the operation – though what they had done could have killed her. Of course, there were still side effects from the procedures: her irises now had a red, machine-like glow while the whites of her eyes had turned black. The cybernetic implants used to link her new eyes to her brain and nervous system had affected some of the veins around her eyes, making them stand out against her naturally pale skin. It had removed her from the battlefield, for the most part, though she still did take her _Atlas_ out every once in a while. She had her protégé, Cinder Fall, handle direct field operations while she handled their employers, which was mainly the Free Worlds League with occasional short-term contracts from the Capellan Confederation.

"Come in, Cinder," she said after hearing a single knock at the door. It slid open to reveal the raven-haired, amber-eyed woman who was her second-in-command.

"We intercepted some intelligence reports from the League's Kapteyn allies," she said, setting a datapad down on her superior's desk.

"Give me the highlights, Cinder. I'll review the rest of it later."

"Yes, ma'am." She took a breath and let it out. "While the news from the Capellans is not concerning to us right now, it is the news from the Draconis Combine that is most relevant." Salem turned her head to look at Cinder, who went on at the silent prompt. "They recently suffered a raid on the world of Harvest by the Commonwealth. A raid conducted by a mercenary unit."

"And what concern is that of ours, my dear?" the albino woman asked as she turned around fully.

"It was conducted by Ozpin's Hunters."

"I see. I still fail to see how that concerns us in any way. I do hope you have an explanation, Cinder, as I would hate to think you were….wasting….my time," Salem said, her native accent bringing to mind nobility – or royalty.

"Ozpin is still wanting justice for what he believes was your betrayal, and there is the fact that Raven Branwen vanished shortly after we accepted employment with the Mariks. Our own intelligence has indicated occasional sighting of her, always looking for information on us. And…there was a report from our agent within the Hunters."

"And what have they to say?"

"It seems that Summer's daughter is determined to come after you and kill you," Cinder told her. "Our agent indicates that she's definitely skilled, though still not up to Summer's level."

"Branwen is problematic, as we've lost a few of our agents and personnel to her," Salem replied. "Ozpin will have to be dealt with as well. The Rose girl…I'm not concerned about her as of yet. We can remove her from the equation easily before she becomes any kind of threat."

"Of course," she agreed.

"That will be all, Cinder," the leader of the Grimm said, turning back to the window. Cinder nodded, offering a salute, before turning and leaving the room. Though she'd never say it out loud, or indicate it in any way, lately Salem was causing her to feel unsettled. Her actions, the fact that the Grimm had an official policy to execute all combatants and non-combatants in their area of engagement, they were causing Cinder to question things now. In the beginning, she'd had no issue with executing soldiers on the battlefield – especially Lyran soldiers, as she'd lost her family do to their actions – but nowadays she was having doubts. She'd followed Salem as the woman had taken her in after everything, but the last seven years had caused a wedge of doubt to form. It had become a bit more noticeable to her after the report she'd seen from their agent within the Hunters.

Shaking her head to clear it, she continued on towards the 'Mech Bay where the Grimm's command company docked their machines. She passed by one of the base's mess halls, and heard Tyrian's insane laugh from within it as she walked by. The Capellan expatriate really creeped her out, and she definitely felt it was best to not know what he got up to off-duty. Hazel was another story, as he didn't believe in causing unnecessary death. He often spent his time alone, when he wasn't in the cockpit of his _Crusader_. She didn't know his past, and didn't really care to know. She only needed to know someone's past to be able to control them, and Salem considered Hazel, Tyrian, and herself to be equals amongst each other – while subordinate to her. And while they were members of the command company, each of them held a battalion commander's rank and led their own commands; Salem just preferred to have each battalion's command lance in one location.

Making her way down the center of the bay, the 'Mech cubicles on either side of her, she came to a stop before her own 'Mech, the 60-ton _Dragon_ she'd had since signing up with the Hunters. The same one that had seen her through the schism. Painted on either side of its center torso was her emblem, which appeared to be two heels set bottom-to-bottom. The entire 'Mech was dark red from cockpit to feet, with yellow designs trailing across it. Its right still contained the AC/5 of the -1N model, but she'd swapped out the Medium Laser in the left arm for a 'Mech-scale Flamer that was powered directly from the _Dragon_ 's fusion reactor, and had its load of standard long-range missiles for ones equipped with inferno warheads. While far more volatile, they caused any 'Mech – or vehicle for that matter – they hit to overheat as the napalm-like substance reacted with the air to raise the heat levels of the target. And the effect on infantry….was best left alone.

Parked next to her _Dragon_ was the silver-and-black _Mercury_ of Mercury Black, one of her lancemates. A rather laidback and cavalier individual, the silver-haired Mercury hadn't actually been the MechWarrior she'd intended to recruit; Cinder had actually been looking for his father, but arrived at the man's last-known location to discover that he'd fought against his own son – and lost. The senior Black had piloted a _Hermes II_ , and in spite of being twice the tonnage of the _Mercury_ , with heavier firepower, he'd still fallen. So, since her first choice was no longer available, she'd taken Mercury. The younger man was the definition of a mercenary, willing to do whatever job asked of him for C-bills. _Such an easily manipulated fool_ , she thought. Turning around, she looked over the 'Mechs of her remaining lancemates.

Right across from Mercury's _Mercury_ was the _Javelin_ of Emerald Sustrai, the first member of her lance she'd recruited. Originally from a world in the Federated Suns' Capellan March, she'd lived as a thief until she'd tried to steal from Cinder. Rather than extract vengeance from the girl, she'd offered her a chance to be something more.The girl had jumped at the chance to finally leave the world she'd been trapped on and had devoted herself to Cinder. The 'Mech she piloted was a tan and cream JVN-10F _Javelin_. Known alternatively as a _Fire Javelin_ , it dropped the SRM-6 launchers of the standard _Javelin_ in favor of 4 Medium Lasers. As the thirty-tonner was known for being a sneaky scout, it was a perfect fit for crimson-eyed girl.

And rounding out her lance was actually a duo, though really only one of them worked directly in combat, so to speak. Racked in the fourth maintenance alcove for her lance was a 20-ton _Stinger_. While considered ineffective in combat because of its light armament of a single Medium Laser and a pair of Machine Guns, the _Stinger_ belonging to Neopolitan was the -3G model, which dropped the MGs, and the half-ton of ammunition for them, for a second Medium Laser. The high speed of the Light BattleMech and its jump capacity made it ideal for the hit-and-fade fighting style the heterochromatic girl. Her 'Mech was painted up with the left side a chocolate brown color, and the right side pink with white streaks here and there. The other part of the duo was a man named Roman Torchwick. While his skills lay more towards finding and acquiring anything they needed, he was still fairly skilled in piloting his 45-ton _Phoenix Hawk_. The Medium BattleMech was black from the waist-down, and white from the waist-up, resembling the standard outfit of its pilot.

The other eight alcoves were occupied by the lances of Tyrian and Hazel; the former still using his _Scorpion_ QuadMech. At 55 tons it was at the top end of Medium-class 'Mechs, though its main punch consisted solely of a PPC, with a single SRM-6 to back it up. If it weren't for the fact that Tyrian was known to kill on a whim, he'd be the joke of the unit for piloting such a rough-riding and counter-intuitive machine. Of course, because he was known to kill on a whim – when Salem permitted it – no one said anything about the QuadMech.

As for the rest of the Grimm, their 'Mechs were painted solid black, with the cockpit windows a glowing red. Rank within the Grimm, unless you were one of Salem's "chosen," was indicated by white paint being added to the machine, starting with the "face." Of course, Salem wouldn't waste good 'Mechs on 'cannonfodder,' so the lowest ranks of the Grimm were populated by cheap, easily acquired 'Mechs like _Stingers_ , _Wasps_ , _Locusts_ , even _Centurions_ and _Hunchbacks_. Based on reports from SAFE (House Marik's intelligence service) as well as the Grimm's own agents – especially their agent within the Hunters – the Hunters had a more eclectic mix of war machines and were smaller in number.

 _But numbers don't always mean everything_ , Cinder thought to herself as she turned and left the bay. _Sometimes skill can trump numbers. At least for a time._

*TCD*

Star Lord _-class JumpShip_ Beacon

 _Nadir Jump Point, Harvest_

 _Rasalhague Military District,_

 _Draconis Combine_

 _20 May 3025_

"Enter," said Ozpin when he heard a knock on his door. Currently, the commanding officer of the Hunters was in his office aboard the _Beacon_ , a large _Star Lord_ -class JumpShip. Very few knew how the Hunters came to actually possess their own JumpShips – the last remaining one being the _Invader_ -class _Monty Oum_ – but they did. They once had a second _Invader_ , but it had vanished with Salem seven years ago. Looking from the computer built into his desk, the gray-haired man watched as Amber drifted into the room (the JumpShip's station-keeping drive had been shut down in preparation for the coming jump).

"Ah, Captain Amber," he said, looking at her. "I do apologize for the abrupt summons, but I needed to talk to you before we jumped."

"It's about Ruby, isn't it?" the brunette asked. Her superior sighed.

"Yes, it is," he replied. "Please, sit down and strap in; the captain notified me that jump preparations will be completed shortly. After she had done so, he went on. "While the outcome of the mission was more than ideal, I am rather disappointed that you went along with Sergeant Rose's reckless action."

"To be fair, sir, while she may have done it to spite you, her instincts were on the mark," Amber replied. "The Kuritans didn't have any air support in the area, though if we'd waited they'd have managed to get a squadron of Mechbusters in the area, not to mention a couple of AeroFighters."

"Be that as it may, she still disobeyed orders." He removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose before replacing them. "I understand she holds me partly responsible for her mother's death, and I will admit that it was my own failure that lead to that regretful incidence. But she cannot continue acting against orders just because of that."

"I understand, sir, but-"

"I've taken her off of combat duty until after the next op, Captain. But as you seem to have some faith in her abilities as a company commander, she'll spend the time between now and then running company-level simulations as well as beginning her studies for becoming an officer," Ozpin went on.

"She's got the potential," Amber allowed, suspicious of Ozpin's motives. Disobeying a direct order from a superior officer usually resulted in a hearing, at least, since she'd endorsed Ruby's actions. Plus, Ozpin had a bad habit of withholding information if he thought it was, from his point of view, in the best interests of others. A final klaxon sounded throughout the 660-meter-long starship, indicating all preparations were complete. Seconds later, the K-F drive 'fired up' and surrounded the _Beacon_ within its generated K-F field. From an outside point of view, the _Star Lord_ -class JumpShip would seem to shimmer and flicker like a heatwave-induced mirage before vanishing from the Harvest System….

*TCD*

….while within the destination system 30 lightyears away, an electromagnetic pulse appeared, followed by an IR (infrared) bloom. Minutes later, the _Beacon_ appeared in the Ridderkerk System. Half an hour later the _Monty Oum_ jumped in, close enough to detect the larger JumpShip on its sensors once the 'jump blindness' cleared but far enough so that the tidal forces generated by its jump didn't affect it. Both vessels began deploying their jump sails after reorienting via their maneuver drives so that their sterns pointed towards the system's sun. Once both vessels had fully deployed their sails – a process that took a few hours, as the delicate solar arrays could not be swiftly unstowed – a shuttle undocked from the _Beacon_ and flew over to the _Monty Oum_. As the KR-61 Long Range Shuttle returned to its hanger bay on its mothership (it had docked with one of the _Beacon_ 's external hatches rather than in one of the JumpShip's hangers), onboard the _Forever Fall_ Blake was in the cabin she shared with the rest of Dragon Lance, alone as the rest of the lance was on the JumpShip's single grav deck. She was adrift in the midst of the cramped space, drifting slightly towards its stern from the effects of the JumpShip's station-keeping drives, having assumed a lotus position for meditation. Despite having grown up on the world of Menagerie, located in the Benjamin Military District of the Draconis Combine, she often felt more at home in the free-fall of near-zero gravity. As a Daughter of the Dragon, and one of the few female MechWarriors within the DCMS (Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery), Blake was fully versed in _bushido_ , or the way of warriors. It was a code of conduct from the ancient nation of Japan in Terra's past – the very culture that Tenno Kurita drew from that would come to dominate and influence the Combine's own culture.

The scent of lavender with a hint of jasmine wafted through the room, calming her mind down again. Thinking of _bushido_ , and how some of its adherents only paid lip service to it, had reminded her of the reason for her _ronin_ status. Even a couple of years later, it still pained her. The disgrace and dishonor that had led to her becoming a mercenary would have had her commit _seppuku_ to restore her honor, but the dishonor was not hers. However, as it was her word against her superior's, who was male, DCMS leadership – along with the Internal Security Force – would not listen to her claims, merely shrugging it off. Possessing proof would not be enough; she would need overwhelming proof to restore her honor and rank. So, in a carefully and clearly written letter, she had absolved her family of her dishonor and became a _ronin_ , or masterless samurai, in order to find the proof she would need that the actions on Kesai IV were the result of her superior in the White Fangs (which were once part of the Eighth Sword of Light but had become an independent command discretely run by the ISF) and not herself.

Lie Ren was also a Combine native, but unlike her he'd been raised in the Federated Suns when the world he was living on was captured from the Draconis Combine nearly two decades ago during the Third Succession War. While the Federated Suns owned the world after that, it had been fortunate to receive a governor that respected the Combine citizens and only asked for them to pledge to the Federated Suns without forcing the Suns' culture upon them. Shortly thereafter, his parents had taken in a young redhead who'd lost her family during the Davion conquest. Unfortunately, in 3013, the Combine had sent a raiding force to the world that hadn't been expecting a strong Davion presence on-world and, during their retreat, they'd set fire to the woods near the village where the Lie family lived. Ren and girl – whose name was Nora Valkyrie – had been two of the few survivors when the fire had blazed out of control. The Federated Suns command that been pursuing the Kuritans had diverted to fight the blaze, setting firebreaks with _Firestarter_ , _Hermes_ , and _Hermes II_ 'Mechs. The two children had stayed together in the orphanage they'd been placed in, until they'd stowed away on a DropShip and enlisted into a Federated Suns military training program that ended up with them being assigned to one of the FedSuns Training Battalions. Unfortunately, the leader of that battalion was anti-Kuritan and frequently tried to get a rise out of Ren, which Nora objected to in a rather violent way (she'd broken his legs with one of the large, 50lb 'Mech wrenches from the base's maintenance bay). While drummed out of not only the Training Battalion but the AFFS (Armed Forces of the Federated Suns) as well, the two had stolen a pair of 'Mechs at Nora's insistence – which was how they'd ended up signing with the Hunters while in possession of an _Assassin_ and a _Hunchback-4J_. Naturally, they ended up having bounties placed on them for that.

As for her lance leader, as open as Yang could be, she could sense a sadness and pain to the normally-boisterous blonde that would normally be hard to discern for anyone else. Blake suspected it tied in to the pain and anger projected by Ruby Rose. _Perhaps I should accept her offer of a 'night on the town' the next time we make planetfall on a world aligned with our employer_ , she thought. _She is, though brash, merely trying to be friendly. Perhaps we could see if Ren and Nora are interested as well._ A course of action decided upon, Blake unfolded from her lotus position and pushed off from the wall she'd been drifting towards, reaching the door to the cramped cabin Dragon Lance occupied.

 _Mech Bay, DropShip_ Forever Fall _  
Jumpship_ Monty Oum _  
Ridderkerk, Tamar Pact  
Lyran Commonwealth  
20 May 3025_

Ruby Rose, currently off active duty as part of her punishment for disobeying orders, was currently buried in one of the maintenance access hatches on her _Lancelot_ 's torso, performing minor adjustments on some of its internal systems – even she knew enough not to mess with a fusion reactor without proper equipment and gear. Besides, zero-G (or more accurately in this case micro-gravity) was a terrible environment for reactor maintenance. Right now she was doing a status check and minor repair on one of the Double Heat Sinks in the 'Mech's engine, something that had become harder and harder over the past few years. Wiping a hand across her brow, she reached back in with the socket wrench and readjusted the coolant flow. _This won't be able to go on much longer_ , she thought to herself. _Without replacement parts, any repairs to this LosTech isn't much better than jerry-rigging. Especially the reactor._ She sighed, feeling a wave of sadness wash over her. This 'Mech, this _Lancelot_ , was the last connection she had to her mom. Losing it….was unthinkable to her. But maintaining its advanced technology was a losing battle. It would be expensive, but not undoable, to downgrade it to the -02 model, although to keep its weapon load out would require a lower-rated standard fusion reactor, reducing its speed. But doing so would, to her, make it cease to be what it was. And as she refused to let Ozpin sell it, there really weren't many other options available. _Maybe….._ , she thought, _I can see about storing it on Patch, under Taiyang's care. Perhaps, one day, the technological decline caused by the Succession Wars will reverse, and_ Crescent Rose _can be truly restored._ A wry, bitter grin grew on her face. "I guess a new 'Mech will mean a readjustment in tactics and piloting," she thought aloud.

"What's wrong with this one?" someone spoke from behind her. Letting out a startled yelp, Ruby instinctively tried to stand, only to bang her head on part of the 'Mech's internal structure, bringing a string of swear words in the Scottish Gaelic of her native Isle of Skye, before she backed herself out of _Crescent Rose_ 's torso and sat up o her haunches, rubbing her head. "Oh my gosh," the same person said, the accent reminiscent of the ancient nation of Australia on Terra, "I'm so sorry."

Turning her head to see the speaker, she blinked in surprise before saying, "Velvet?"

 **E/N:** A bit more backstory on certain characters, a deeper glimpse into the Betrayal as well as – hopefully – more insight into Ruby herself. I do hope I've raised more questions, lol. Sorry for the delay, was having internet troubles the last few days.


	4. 3 - Downtime and Trouble

" _It is the 31_ _st_ _century,_

 _And mankind is once again at war._

 _The battlefields of the future_

 _Are dominated by huge robotic war machines_

 _Known as BattleMechs._

 _Piloting these awesome weapons of war_

 _Are men and women, the elite of the elite,_

 _Knowing each battle could be their last._

 _They are…._

 _MechWarriors."_

~MechWarrior 3 Opening Text

 **3 – Downtime and Trouble**

 _Drop Strip, Beryl City  
Ballynure, Tamar Pact  
Lyran Commonwealth  
29 June 3025_

After recharging their jump drives in the Ridderkerk System, the _Beacon_ and _Monty Oum_ had jumped to the Svarstaad System, then to the Vulcan System, followed by the Colmar, Cusset, Biota, Montmarault, and Benfield Systems, before finally ending up at Ballynure's Zenith Jump Point where a helium seal on the _Beacon_ failed and had to be replaced before the jump drive could begin recharging. Ozpin decided to allow one of the Hunters' companies to rotate planetside for some R&R, with the lucky command decided by lot; Ranger Company was the winner, and the _Forever Fall_ was dispatched to Beryl City. In addition to some downtime, Captain Vernal was tasked with refilling its stores, which was also the task of the _Monty Oum_ 's pair of KR-61 shuttles, whose passenger compartments had been stripped in order to allow for more supplies. Of course, per their contract with House Steiner, they would also see Lyran merchant DropShips refilling their stores (this had happened at three other stops within the Commonwealth). Even though they didn't have the fame of the Wolf's Dragoons or the Kell Hounds – in spite of the latter's reduction after the battle on Mallory's World – and were also dealing with the Betrayal (somewhat of a dark parallel of what happened with the Kell Hounds), House Steiner's mercenary liaisons had been impressed with the Hunters' performance in their contracts to retain them. Especially as they are one of the highly uncommon independent commands to possess their own transport capability.

As Ballynure was deep in the Lyran Commonwealth, Ozpin hadn't deployed a CAP (Combat AeroSpace Patrol), though he had the Hunters' two _Sparrowhawks_ on five-minute alert status. While normally he would have deployed at least half of the unit for R&R, but Kommandant-General Elizabeth Plath, the current commander of the Commonwealth's Mercenary Troops Liaison department, had requested the Hunters to make a reasonable speed to Poulsbo in order to reinforce the border against a suspected Free Worlds League raid. While the Third Succession War may be considered over, that doesn't mean that the fighting and dying would stop. After all, even during the 'golden age' that was the Star League there was war waged.

Right now the MechWarriors of Ranger Company – along with the vehicle crews of Lightning Company, carried aboard the _Buccaneer_ -class _Emerald Forest_ – were dispersed throughout Beryl City's Drop Strip, the area immediately surrounding the Drop Port where ship crews and personnel could relax and unwind without having to venture into the city proper, though there weren't any rules or regulations saying that they couldn't leave the Strip (unless their superiors had ordered them not, as was the case with Ranger and Lightning Companies). And whereas many MechWarriors often disparaged vehicles and infantry as being inferior to 'Mechs, that wasn't the case with the personnel attached to the DropShips docked to the _Monty Oum_ ; when possible, the MechWarriors, armor crews, infantry, and pilots intermingled and chatted, often discussing the pros and cons of their specific specialties. Dragon Lance was right now hanging with Lightning Company's Guard Lance (which was composed of a single Heavy BattleMech Recovery Vehicle, an Engineering Vehicle, and a pair of J-27 Ordinance Vehicles) at one of the Strips many pubs, while the command lances of both companies were at another pair of bars. And while Ozpin disapproved of any Hunter traveling solo, even in a 'friendly' area, that was what Ruby was currently doing, having encouraged the rest of her lance to go enjoy themselves; right now, the officer-candidate wanted some alone time. Though she had decided to eventually retire _Crescent Rose_ , such a decision sat heavily upon her. And of course, her thoughts were also occupied by the conversation she'd had with Velvet a month ago. They'd talked more since then, of course, but it was that one conversation that really stuck with her, as the shy yet determined officer had kindly and gently forced the angry crimsonette to face herself.

 ***Flashback***

" _Hey, Ruby," the brunette replied. "Got a minute?"_

" _I've got plenty of those," Ruby replied, her tone tinged with bitterness._

" _Well….you know you can only blame yourself for that, right?" Velvet's own tone was full of concern and worry. Ruby wanted to snap at the older girl for that, wanted to lash out, but she didn't. Looking at Velvet's face, at the genuine expression seen there and the truth of it in her eyes: she truly cared. Sighing, Ruby set down the tool she'd been holding and reached for the towel laying on the tool kit she'd borrowed from a Tech and wiped her face and hands._

" _So what's up, uh….."_

" _Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina. I, um, fly the lead in the Aero Lance."_

" _Oh, right. Yeah. Um, sorry." Now Ruby felt bad about not knowing her name, seeing the slightly hurt look on her face._

" _It's….it's okay," Velvet replied._

" _No it isn't," Ruby argued. "So, um, you….wanted to talk?"_

" _It's just…um, I wanted to say that…you did good. On that raid, I mean. Not that you don't do good other times! I mean, um….."_

" _It's okay, Velvet, I get what you're saying," Ruby said with a stifled giggle. The sound made the brunette's heart flutter a bit, and she hoped it didn't show._

" _Yeah." Rubbing her arm nervously, she went on. "But…I'm worried about you."_

" _It's because of that whole 'reckless' thing, isn't it?"_

" _No one doubts your skill as a MechWarrior, Ruby," Velvet told her. "But-"_

" _I've heard this already, Velvet."_

" _Then why don't you actually listen?" That stopped her._

" _What?" Ruby asked._

" _If you've heard it before, then how come you don't listen?" Velvet repeated. She looked down at her feet. "No one but you can know the pain you feel, but that doesn't mean they can't understand it, empathize with it. And before you say something because you're angry that you're being lectured, I do know what it's like to lose a parent. I wasn't born in the Isle of Skye, that's just where I moved to when I was five because my parents were killed during a border raid while I was at school. I was living with my grandparents until I signed on with the Hunters. I wanted to join the LCAF to get revenge."_

" _Did you?"_

" _How could I, really? It's not like the Capellans advertised who killed who. I was a pretty angry child."_

" _What the hell else am I supposed to do?!" Ruby yelled._

" _Letting it go is cliché, but is still true. It won't be easy, and I'm not saying to forgive those responsible, but….well, my grandmother always said anger was like poison." She tentatively reached up and placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder; it wasn't shrugged away. "I don't mean to lecture you, as I'm sure you've had enough of that. But I've been where you're at now, and the hole left never goes away. Next time you look in a mirror, look yourself in the eyes and ask if who you are seeing is who you're happy with being."_

 ***End Flashback***

Since then, Ruby and Velvet had had a few more conversations, either in the _Forever Fall_ 's lounge, or on the _Monty Oum_ 's grav-deck. Velvet hadn't pressed the issue of Ruby's anger, but had instead talked about her life before her parents' death, how she'd met Coco, Yatsuhashi, and Fox, growing up with her grandparents, even why she'd dropped out of Flight School of Thorin. And Ruby….well, she hadn't really talked about her mom, though she had admitted she had two mothers instead of one. Velvet hadn't judged her about it, just accepted it without question. She talked about working on _Thorn_ , the name her mom had given the _Lancelot_ , and how she'd renamed it _Crescent Rose_ once she'd felt worthy of piloting it. Though now she was wondering if she truly was worthy of piloting her mother's machine. She still held Ozpin responsible for Summer's death, as it was his orders – and his refusal to listen to her mother, Raven – that had led to the elder crimsonette's death during the Betrayal. Hell, Maiden Lance had lost everyone but Amber (only one of them had been a fatality, the other two having suffered injuries that had removed them from combat duty).

Sighing, the potential officer stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets and continued wandering the Strip, aware that she'd attracted some less-than-friendly attention that was following her. A grin pricked at her face at the idea; she knew that anticipating beating the tar out of some wannabe pickpockets or more than likely far worse could get her an appointment with the unit's counselor if anyone learned of it. She'd confessed to Velvet, during one of their conversations, that she was worried she was developing a taste for that kind of violence. The older brunette had embraced her and told that if she worried about that, then she really had nothing to worry about. _Regardless_ , she thought, _right now is a good time to blow off some this anger. Velvet said finding the right outlet for that would be good, though I don't think she meant what's about to happen._

Deciding to turn down an alley, Ruby walked down it a bit before pausing and turning around to see her exit blocked by four guys who gave an air of arrogance and violence. To the crimsonette, it was rather obvious that they were little better than thugs, relying upon numbers and their own perceived strength to intimidate their victims into giving them what they wanted. And it was just as obvious that they had no military or combat training, either.

"Um, hey, guys," she said. "I think I got a bit turned around." _That_ had stopped happening to her when she was eleven, as by then she'd developed an instinctive ability to navigate a Strip with ease (since she got lost so often, and all Drop Strips were pretty much 90% the same no matter the world or nation they were on/belonged to).

"Sucks to be you, then," said the one that appeared to be the leader. He stood at least a head above the other three with him, and had burnt-orange hair. "So here's how this is going to work, girlie. You give us all of your money, and anything that's valuable, and if we think it's enough we'll let you go. If it's not enough, or you refuse, we'll take it out of you." Oh, she got exactly what he meant by that.

"You know," she said with a sigh, looking down, "I was thinking that all I'd get to do is blow off some anger." When she looks up, the three guys around the 'leader' felt an urge to go somewhere else, as their supposed victim was now wearing a rather insane-looking grin. "Now I see that I'll get a chance to do some good."

"What are you gonna do, little girl?" the arrogant one spoke. "Cry-" He was interrupted as Ruby dashed forward and buried her fist in his gut. As air explosively left his mouth and he bent over in an automatic response, the crimsonette reared back and slammed her head forward, her forehead impacting the taller guy's nose hard enough to ensure that it always appear crooked without expensive surgery. As he jerked backwards from the impact his lackeys surged forward in an attempt to overwhelm her. Ruby ducked under the arms trying to grab her and slammed an uppercut into the jaw of one of them, using the momentum to spin out of the way of the second one's charge. She turned that into a spinning sweep kick, dropping down as she slipped below the attempted tackle and sending the guy sailing over her as she kicked his feet out from under him. He flew right into the one she'd uppercutted, the impact sending them both into the alley wall and knocking them out cold. That just left two, one of them the gangleader.

"You fucking bitch!" he growled, making to rush her until he found himself looking down the barrel of a vicious-looking pistol. He swallowed hard.

"This is a Mauser and Gray Firearms flechette pistol," Ruby explained, watching the man pale and his only conscious backup freezing in place. "Without going into technical details, since I doubt you're smart enough to understand them, it has the same rate of fire as a machine pistol. Because of that, most worlds have it restricted to military personnel. So what's that tell you?" She didn't give him a chance to answer. "It tells you that you fucked up big time. But since I've actually calmed down thanks to all of this, I'll give you and dingbat over there a chance to run, since by your expression I know you're aware of just what a flechette round can do." She flicked back the hammer. "One," was all she had to say before the two of them were running out of the alley. Chuckling, she eased the hammer back up and flicked the safety back on before slipping the pistol back into its back holster. Sauntering out of the alley, she resumed her walk, feeling much better than she had before. Except for her hand, she noted as she shook her achy right hand.

 ***TCD***

"Hey, Velvs," Coco said as she sat down next to the brunette at the bar of a pub called _Junior's_. Velvet's shoulders slumped as she sighed heavily. The taller brunette shook her head. "Kid still not noticing you?"

"It's not that," was the reply. "We've….been talking, hanging out but-"

"-but not like you'd wanted," Coco finished. Her friend nodded glumly. "Well, at least you're not drinking your feelings."

"Didn't want to make it a habit." Though she did have more than a slight buzz from the PPC* she'd been drinking.

"Picked the wrong drink for just a once-over," the MechWarrior replied. "Listen, Velvet. Is she really worth it?"

"To me. She's like I usta…youstoo….used to be," the pilot answered, her brow furrowed slightly while she tried to speak, the drink really getting to her now.

"Then I think we should head back to the DropShip, let you sleep this off. If Red means this much to you, where you want to drink even just once to help your aching heart deal with things, then drinking is the last thing you'd want to do." Coco helped her get to her feet, then put a few kroner on the bar to cover her friend's drink, and led her out of the pub. "You two have been talking quite a bit during the trip to get this far. I'd go so far as to say you two are bonding now. And if she's like you used to be, then you know that getting through all of that anger and pain isn't going to be easy for her. And until that happens, I'm sorry to say, there won't be any room in her heart for anything else."

 ***TCD***

 _Bangor Military Base,  
Poulsbo, Alarion Province  
Lyran Commonwealth  
29 June 3025_

Weiss felt her left eyebrow twitching a bit as she looked over the reports on her datapad. Some of the members of her command had been caught up in an altercation with some civilians in a bar in Bangor Heights. She had disciplined them and docked their pay to cover the damages, but she was incensed that members of her command would act in a manner unbecoming of Lyran soldiers. She had been firm but not excessive, following the regulations of the LCAF in regards to punishment. Of course, she'd also given them a lecture that had left even the veterans feeling like they'd disappointed their favorite grandmother. Most of her MechWarriors were as fresh from the academy as she was, but she felt that was no excuse for Nagelring graduates. She had drawn up a training schedule for her company, from lance-level up to full company, and had submitted it to the _kommandant_ for approval. Setting the device down, she pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. As much as being a MechWarrior called to her soul, to who she was, she despised the social maneuvering common to the LCAF's officer corps. Especially those of battalion level and up. They seemed more interested in increasing their social standing through making others look bad rather and making high-ranking connections than earning their rank honestly through hard work and ability. And while Archon Katrina Steiner, from what she had heard, believed the same, that didn't matter if it never reached her attention.

Sighing, the white-haired _hauptmann_ finished recording her decisions on the personnel reports and moved on to the maintenance reports. This part of command was a bit tedious, but something she was more than able to handle. She made a note in the maintenance record that her _Centurions_ needed overhauls on their autocannon actuators, and that her lance's _Thunderbolt_ needed an overhaul on its reactor within the next three months. The rest was minor repair work and she signed off on it, confident in her technical staff. She still didn't like her _Zeus_ , though it wasn't because it was a bad machine; rather, it was because she didn't seem to…. _click_ ….with it like she had heard MechWarriors were able to do. While many Lyran MechWarriors seemed to see BattleMechs as merely tools of war, Weiss felt differently. Oh, she knew that they were engines of destruction, of course, but she also believed that a MechWarrior could only perform at the highest level with a 'Mech that properly suited them. Which, for her, wasn't a _Zeus_ , though she did perform well with it. There was just a lack of….elegance and precision with the 80-ton 'Mech. While her -6T model replaced the AC/5 and ammunition of the -6S for a PPC, thereby increasing its damage curve, she much preferred the greater precision of the autocannon.

Earlier in the day, during the morning briefing, her unit's _kommandant_ had stated that LCAF command would be sending reinforcements their way, in anticipation of action by the Free Worlds League. The reinforcements, however, would be mercenaries. While the other _hauptmanns_ sneered at the idea of 'mere' mercenaries providing support for a 'real' military unit, Weiss had to keep her reaction hidden. Her studies at the Nagelring had included learning about mercenaries and the history of the profession, and she found such a lifestyle somewhat alluring. She knew that mercenaries followed orders, and their leadership obeyed their employers, but the freedom of being able to choose who to work for, of the camaraderie that existed there, was like a siren's call. She knew that many mercenary units could be considered unscrupulous, and that some were even little better than pirates, but a few them were truly honorable professionals. She wondered if it would be the Kell Hounds that were coming to Poulsbo, as the famed unit was currently under contract to House Steiner. The more famous Wolf's Dragoons were, according to current information, at the moment under contract to House Kurita.

"Regardless," she murmured to herself, organizing her desk and closing everything down in preparation for leaving for the night, "they'll be a welcome addition to the local militia, at least." The heaviest BattleMech the local militia had was an aging ON1-K _Orion_ with a glitchy targeting array.

She did hope, though, that she could at least meet the mercenaries when they arrived.

 **E/N:** Things are starting to happen now, at least as far as the girls of RWBY coming together. I had a bit more fun writing this chapter than the previous ones, though I am really enjoying writing them. Many thanks to my Beta, **Phoenix Commander** , for his help in not only editing this story but for also providing ideas and being a sounding board for my own. And also thanks to **Dongyrn** for his BatleTech/RWBY crossover, **Immortals** , which got me to bring this idea out of storage to dust off. It's really reinvigorated my creativity.

*PPC: This powerful alcoholic beverage is named after the most powerful energy weapon available due to its punch. Each of the Great Houses has its own variant of the drink, which cuts the white lightning with an alcoholic beverage that is usually associated with that House (for example, a Lyran PPC will be cut with peppermint schnapps.


	5. 4 - A Call to Arms

" _It is the 31_ _st_ _century,_

 _And mankind is once again at war._

 _The battlefields of the future_

 _Are dominated by huge robotic war machines_

 _Known as BattleMechs._

 _Piloting these awesome weapons of war_

 _Are men and women, the elite of the elite,_

 _Knowing each battle could be their last._

 _They are…._

 _MechWarriors."_

~MechWarrior 3 Opening Text

 **4 – A Call to Arms**

 _Grav Deck, JumpShip_ Monty Oum _  
Nadir Jump Point, Pencader  
Alarion Province, Lyran Commonwealth  
5 December 3025_

After the layover in the Ballynure System, the _Beacon_ and _Monty Oum_ departed on 5 July to make the journey to Poulsbo. A trip that lasted five months, and involved layovers in uninhabited systems – including recharging the jump drive with energy carefully fed from the JumpShips' reactors for the 2-jump trip from York to Carlisle. And now they had just arrived at Pencader with the two JumpShips just now completing the unfolding of their solar sails to start recharging their drives. Pencader's star would allow them to complete recharging in six days, meaning that the Hunters would reach Poulsbo on 11 December. Glynda Goodwitch, captain of the _Monty Oum_ , had set up a schedule for use of the grav deck, and Ranger Company – along with some of the _Invader_ 's 24-member crew that weren't involved in jump drive operations – were the first ones scheduled for it, although Amber had decided to set up rotations with the other two DropShips attached to the _Oum_ for ¼ to 1/3 of each unit to go at one time. Ruby's lance, along with the _Forever Fall_ 's Aero Lance, were the first ones on the grav deck. Jaune and Yatsuhashi were playing a game of BattleTech on the holo-console in one corner of the grav deck, while Coco was sitting in a chair nearby reading a fashion magazine she'd picked up the last time they'd gone planetside for supplies. Ruby, meanwhile, was sitting on one of the couches in the space, one near one of the external viewports. She was staring out at the stars, her mind lightyears away, when a hand landed on her shoulder and caused her to jump.

"I'm sorry!" Velvet said as Ruby turned to see who it was.

"Oh, i-it's okay, Velvet," the crimsonette reassured her. "I was, um, just thinking. Sorry."

"No, that's fine. Can I, uh, sit here with you?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure."

As the taller brunette sat down next to her, her wingmate went over to the others and watched Jaune and Yatsu play. Five months – six, really, if you counted time from that conversation Ruby and Velvet had had that really got her thinking – was quite a long time. And while they still hadn't really talked about Ruby's past, they had still talked about a variety of things. Velvet had even offered to help tutor Ruby in her studies for becoming an officer. The now twenty-year-old had accepted, providing more opportunities to spend time together (which Yang took advantage of to tease them about, making them both blush every time). Velvet had even gotten Ruby a gift for the latter's birthday, which had surprised her; Ruby's birthday had been a bittersweet event after the death of her mother, a day she didn't like to celebrate as Summer wasn't around to celebrate with her but one she still marked. After her 13th birthday, 2 days after her mother's death, each following birthday was merely 'celebrated' with just a card and a "happy birthday" from people. So getting a gift after six years of getting none was a bit of a shock. She really didn't want a gift, but not wanting to hurt Velvet's feelings was something she didn't want to do even more, so she'd accepted it.

And she'd been happy she'd done so, as when she had opened the gift she'd found a silver chain to put the charm her mother used to wear on, along with a red-tinted silver hair clip made in Ruby's own emblem. She had been overwhelmed by the gifts and had impulsively hugged the older woman, making them both blush – and having that blush deepen more when Yang let out a wolf-whistle before being dragged away by Blake. That had been just over a month ago, and Ruby had been doing a lot of thinking about the fighter pilot – even when she wasn't intentionally meaning to. Even before her birthday, she'd been thinking about Velvet. Not just as a comrade, or just a friend, but….something more. She'd become Ruby's closest friend ever since their very first conversation in the _Forever Fall_ 's 'Mech Bay, but the feelings Ruby'd been getting over the last couple of months or so were more than what 'just friends' would have.

"Ruby?" Velvet asked, startling the younger MechWarrior out of her thoughts.

"Oh, uh, sorry, Velvet," she replied sheepishly. "I kinda got lost in my head for a second."

"That's alright," Velvet told her with a giggle. "What were you thinking about?"

"You," Ruby blurted out, making them both turn as red as her namesake.

"O-Oh. Y-You were?"

"Yeah, um, I….I was."

The two fell into an awkward silence after that, neither really sure what to say. Velvet was hopeful that this meant that Ruby might like her back, but was also anxious that she might be reading more into it than what was there.

"I just….can't seem to stop thinking about you," Ruby said into the uncomfortable silence. "I mean, at first I thought it was just what you were saying. Which I did think on, you know." Velvet nodded, sensing she shouldn't say anything right now. "But I found myself thinking about _you_ more than what you'd _said_ more often than not. And…when I was I….I wasn't feeling so angry. I still hold Ozpin responsible for my mom's death, though not as much as I hold Salem. It's just….when I think of you, when you're around and all, it's not all-consuming anymore." Ruby took a deep breath and let it out. "And it's not just that, either. Thinking about you makes me feel…warm inside. Happy. You know?"

"I know exactly what you mean, Ruby," Velvet told her. "Can I…say something?"

"Sure."

"Well, the truth is…I like you. As in…a lot. Romantically."

"Like…dating?"

"Exactly like that," Velvet answered, blushing furiously. "And, um, i-it…it sounds like you…might feel the same?"

"I think so," Ruby said slowly in agreement. "Can we….find out?"

"I'd like that."

 _Rec Room, DropShip_ Forever Fall _  
JumpShip_ Monty Oum _  
Nadir Jump Point, Pencader  
Alarion Province, Lyran Commonwealth  
5 December 3025_

Blake felt a small smile form on her face as she watched Ren enter the _Forever Fall_ 's rec room. The zen-like MechWarrior spotted her and walked over, a gentle smile now on his own face. The two of them had started dating back when the Hunters were at Ballynure, when their other two lancemates got decided to go barhopping and they'd tagged along to keep them under control. The two of them started talking about the Combine, especially as Blake had more knowledge having lived her entire life in Kurita space and culture. The two of them then progressed easily into discussing the various literature they'd read, as well as talking about their respective hyperactive partners. Ren didn't even blink an eye when she'd explained how she became a mercenary with the Hunters, and her _ronin_ status; he'd simply placed a hand on her shoulder, and told her that her chosen path was the honorable one. Between them, there had never been a "will you go out with me" moment. They'd simply both agreed to a relationship and now here they were. Sure, they didn't go on what Nora would've called 'dates,' but that was fine with them; they were comfortable with what they did. To prevent Nora from trying to 'fix' their dates to 'be more fun,' Ren simply promised her his special pancakes. As for Yang, Blake had simply and calmly promised to introduce her katana to the blonde's hair if she tried anything.

" _Kon'nichiwa_ , Blake- _kun_ ," he said, speaking in Japanese, as he sat down. She closed her rare bound-paper book and set it down next to her before leaning over and placing a kiss on his cheek.

" _Anata wa nihongo o hanasu hitsuyo wa arimasen,_ Ren," Blake replied.

"Says the beauty who said that in _nihongo_ ," he responded with a chuckle. "What book were you reading this time?"

"It's about a man with two souls, each one fighting for control of his body."

"You do enjoy that one."

"It's one of the few print-on-paper books I own. I think I might need to see if I can get it refurbished, though that won't be a cheap course of action."

"Perhaps I can help," Ren offered. "I have experience with restoring fabrics to their original state, having gotten a lot of practice with Nora. While fabric and paper are different things, I can look into restorative techniques for paper."

"Ren, you don't have-"

"But I want to, as it would be for you," he interrupted, making her blush but also bringing a smile to her face. She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder, as his arm came around her shoulders to hold her.

 _JumpShip_ Beacon  
 _Nadir JumpPoint, Pencader  
Alarion Province, Lyran Commonwealth  
5 December 3025_

"So you lifted Sergeant Rose's punishment?" Ozpin asked, taking a sip of his coffee. The captain of the _Monty Oum_ , and second in command of the Hunters, scoffed at him.

" I do believe it's been more than enough time to keep her off of active duty," Glynda told him, her tone frosty; while she didn't quite approve of Ruby's actions in relation to Ozpin, she more than understood it – and even agreed with how the crimsonette regarded the man, since she confirmed he indeed known of Salem's talks with FWL agents leading up to the Betrayal just over seven years ago.

"That's not your decision to make, Glynda," he told her.

"Actually, as the executive officer of the Hunters, it _is_ ," she reminded him. "You may have set her punishment, but I considered it fulfilled considering how much time has passed. Six months, Ozpin. _Six_ months. That is excessive considering the reasons you filed for the so-called disciplinary action." She glared at the man. "I understand that she needed to b punished for, at the least, consistently disobeying orders – despite the results – as well as not changing that course of action after appropriate warnings."

"You still should have consulted me on this."

"Like you consulted with me on her punishment? You may be the unit commander, Ozpin, but the company she is in is attached to _my_ JumpShip." She stood and left his office aboard the _Beacon_ , but paused in the doorway. "I'm not sure if you've seen the report yet, but _Lieutenant_ Rose passed her officer's exam with flying colors." With that, she left his office; by her demeanor, he knew she would've slammed the door on her way out if she could have. With a sigh, he used his desk's built-in computer to search for and pull up Ruby Rose's records and began reviewing her officer candidate assessment.

 ***TCD***

 _Milos, St. Ives Compact  
Capellan Confederation  
13 November 3025_

The _Maskirovka_ agent was slammed into the alley wall, his head rebounding off of the duracrete, before the same person that had introduced him to the wall slammed into him again, his head once again bouncing off of the wall. When the figure fisted his shirt and jerked him forward, he looked at them and snarled, " _Nǐ zhīdào nǐ gǎo zále shuí_?" The figure's fist slammed into his abdomen, knocking the wind out of him harshly.

" _Wǒ bùxiè yīqì_ ," they replied in a growl. " _Nǐ huì gàosù wǒ wǒ xiǎng zhīdào de. Rúguǒ wǒ xiāngxìn nǐ, wǒ huì jǐnkuài ràng nǐ sǐ._ " The assailant produced a blade from somewhere and held it to the _Maskirovka_ agent's neck. The man swallowed and looked into the person's eyes, seeing in there a resolve and fury so intense he knew that a quick death would be a mercy compared to what this person could be capable of.

" _Nǐ xiǎng zhīdào shénme?_ " he finally asked.

The person leaned forward a bit, the light from a lantern nearby reflecting off of eyes the color of fresh blood and said, " _Sāi lēi mǔ zài nǎlǐ?_ "

* **TCD***

 _Briefing Hall Alpha, Bangor  
Military Base,  
Poulsbo, Alarion Province  
Lyran Commonwealth  
6 December 3025_

Weiss couldn't believe what she'd just heard, and apparently neither could anyone else.

"You can _not_ be serious!" one of the other company commanders said, shocked.

"I'm afraid I am," the _kommandant_ replied in irritation. "A civilian _Monolith_ -class JumpShip detected the emergence waves of incoming JumpShips, and stayed long enough to confirm their identity: they were Marik JumpShips. That was two days ago, and long range scanners have detected Marik DropShips – a mixture of a single _Overlord_ , a couple of _Unions_ , and some _Leopard-CVs_ according to mass detection and thrust profile – on a high-speed run to us."

"Strictly BattleMech assets?" Weiss asked.

"Possibly, though it isn't inconceivable for the _Unions_ to be transporting vehicles," the _kommandant_ replied. "As we're not sure what their objective is or where they'll be landing, we need to be ready. Our analysts have identified three likely sites for the League forces to hit, so we'll disperse each of the companies, along with units from the militia for support. The command lance along the heaviest assets from the militia, will remain here at the base to protect the city."

"Sir, I think it might be better if we were to-" Weiss began but was interrupted.

"I'm aware of your exemplary academy record, _Hauptmann_ Schnee, but this isn't an academy exercise or combat simulation," the _kommandant_ said, his arrogant tone and demeanor making her flush in shame and the other gathered officers to snicker and sneer. "We will disperse according to plan, with DropShips on standby to reshuffle our forces as needed." As he went on, discussing unit assignment for their battalion, in addition to how the Poulsbo Planetary Militia was being deployed, Weiss just wanted to scream in frustration. With essentially half the battalion being composed of recent graduates, even if they had come from the prestigious and elite Nagelring, it was foolish to expect them to be able to go up against veteran soldiers, even if they were Leaguers.

After the _kommandant_ dismissed the battalion's officers, Weiss made her way to the section of the base where her company was housed. She absentmindedly greeted the Techs and armor crews she encountered, her thoughts on how to use her company and militia support effectively while still obeying orders. Unlike her LCAF colleagues at Bangor Military Base, she had developed a good rapport with the "socially inferior" personnel, ranging from the armor crews who supported the BattleMechs in their hovercraft and tracked vehicles to the Techs who maintained all of it. Naturally, her behavior was the subject of discussion amongst the Lyran officers, and the elite of Poulsbo's society; ironically enough, it lead to her being invited to social functions less and less, in spite of her family name, which didn't bother her in the slightest.

Upon reaching her office, she locked the door after entering and sat down at her desk, powering up its built-in computer system. Accessing the base's mainframe, she began drafting and issuing orders for her company. If the Marik forces were sighted two days ago, then they had about three and a half days before the incoming DropShips flipped over for the deceleration burn. After that, they had roughly five and a half days before the invaders reached orbit, as the journey from jump point to Poulsbo as just over 11 days. The FWLM JumpShips had come in at the nadir jump point, thankfully avoiding the recharge station found at the zenith jump point. Poulsbo's sun gave JumpShips a recharge time of just over a week, which meant they would be ready to jump before their DropShips reached the planet. These thoughts ran through Weiss's head as she drafted her orders. Her company, the 16th Iron Wall Company, was to deploy via _Union_ DropShip near the town of Silverdale – about a day's forced march from it – and set up a field base at their landing site. Once the _Union_ offloaded everything, it would return to Bangor Base and load up the rest of the supplies to fully set up the field base, at which point it then transport their militia support to them. Considering how LRM-heavy her command was, she elected to arrange her 'Mechs so that those that depended upon their LRM launchers as their main punch would hang back to provide fire support, while the others would deploy in a manner allowing them to strike at their longest range while being able to move close enough to engage their primary weapons (such as the AC/10s found on her company's _Centurions_ and _Enforcers_ ). She made sure to allow for them to remain covered by their longer-ranged comrades, as well as the militia units.

"Well, this is interesting," Weiss murmured, looking over the TO&E (Table of Organization and Equipment) for the militia command supporting her; it contained a pair of Mobile Long Tom Artillery Vehicles, the LT-MOB-25. With the range of coverage the exceptionally slow 6-vehicle-convoy, it would help her commands engage and weaken the enemy at a further distance. Of course, because of their slow speed and scant armor, Weiss would have to make sure that the enemy didn't breach the combat perimeter. It wasn't quite the Steiner combat style to set up a deployment that required the enemy to move first, but she was coming up with a plan. The militia's armor assets were heavy in hover tanks and vehicles, which were exceptionally fast though more often lacking firepower and armor. She could see using them as strike-and-fade elements, harassing the enemy's flanks and rear elements. But to ensure they weren't unintentional targets of 'friendly fire,' she would need to make sure the Mobile Long Toms had fixed but interlocked fields of fire, and that her MechWarriors paid attention to their own fire zones and scanners.

Signing off on her orders and transmitting them to the appropriate personnel, Weiss began working out her battle plans, trusting those in her command to carry out their orders quickly and efficiently. It was time to truly put her training to the test, and prove that she was worthy of being a MechWarrior.

 ***TCD***

 _DropShip_ Ursa's Den _  
On approach to Poulsbo,  
Alarion Province, Lyran  
Commonwealth  
6 December 3025_

The _Union_ -class DropShip _Ursa's Den_ was hiding in the sensor shadow of one of the Free Worlds League Militia's _Unions_ , it's flight crew skilled and experienced enough to fly so close the Marik DropShip so as to appear as one vessel on scans. Unlike the other DropShips in the raiding force, the _Ursa's Den_ wasn't a part of the FWLM; rather, it belonged to a mercenary command that had been under employment to House Marik since late 3018. Calling themselves the Grimm, they would take any mission so long as the pay was good. With a reputation for being uncaring of collateral damage – people and/or property – the Grimm weren't a unit House Marik wanted against them. Of course, there were rumors and reports that some of their personnel were responsible for several 'unsolved' incidents against FWL civilians, but nothing was ever substantiated.

The unit currently traveling towards Poulsbo was known as the Iron Bears Company, and was composed of a mix of Heavy and Assault 'Mechs capable of taking a lot of damage. In fact, the company's lightest 'Mech was a 65-ton _Thunderbolt_ , while its heaviest was the 100-ton MAD-4A _Marauder II_ of the Iron Bears' commanding officer. Though painted black like all Grimm 'Mechs and vehicles, the _Marauder II_ had the white markings painted onto it to identify it as an 'Ursa Major' for those in the know. The two lance leaders' 'Mechs were painted to identify them as 'Ursa Minors' while the rest bore the basic white markings on black to indicate they were veteran Ursae. Though their mission was to cause death and destruction in whatever manner they could to Poulsbo, their orders were to do so in the shadows of the FWLM. Though everyone in the Inner Sphere knew that even the Free Worlds League wasn't itself capable of the atrocities committed by the Grimm, there really wasn't much evidence outside of the League to give credence to the Grimms' existence. Of course, per Salem's orders, they had an office on Galatea – under a false front, naturally – to entertain offers from potential employers. So far, Salem was looking at offers from the Capellan Confederation, the Draconis Combine, and even from both the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth (though it was specifically from Michael Hasek-Davion and Duke Aldo Lestrade, respectively).

Regardless of what course of action the Grimm would take in the future, the only concern of the Iron Bears was to land on Poulsbo and cause as much death and destruction as they could.

 **E/N:** I'll provide translations for the Japanese and Chinese dialogue used in this chapter.

* _Kon'nichiwa_ = Hello

* _Anata wa nihongo o hanasu hitsuyo wa arimasen,_ Ren = You don't have to speak Japanese, Ren

* _Nǐ zhīdào nǐ gǎo zále shuí_ (Chinese) = Do you know who you are messing with?

* _Wǒ bùxiè yīqì_ = I don't give a shit.

* _Nǐ huì gàosù wǒ wǒ xiǎng zhīdào de. Rúguǒ wǒ xiāngxìn nǐ, wǒ huì jǐnkuài ràng nǐ sǐ._ = You'll tell me what I want to know. If I believe you, I will let you die quickly

* _Nǐ xiǎng zhīdào shénme_ = What do you want to know

* _Sāi lēi mǔ zài nǎlǐ_ = Where is Salem


	6. 5 - Raid on Poulsbo

" _It is the 31_ _st_ _century,_

 _And mankind is once again at war._

 _The battlefields of the future_

 _Are dominated by huge robotic war machines_

 _Known as BattleMechs._

 _Piloting these awesome weapons of war_

 _Are men and women, the elite of the elite,_

 _Knowing each battle could be their last._

 _They are…._

 _MechWarriors."_

~MechWarrior 3 Opening Text

 **5 – Raid on Poulsbo**

 _Grav Deck, JumpShip_ Monty Oum _  
Pencader, Alarion Province  
Lyran Commonwealth  
8 December 3025_

"….and that's what we know now," Glynda said to the senior officers gathered in the _Monty Oum_ 's grav deck. Aside from Glynda herself, currently occupying the 65-meter rotating ring were the captains of the three DropShips attached to the JumpShip, Amber of Ranger Company, Lightning Company's CO (commanding officer), and the CO of Rapier Battalion, the infantry battalion housed on the _Condor_ -class DropShip _Lake Matsu_ , as well as the batt's XO (Executive Officer) who was also the commander of the vehicle 'company' that transports the infantry (with one full company devoted to anti-'Mech warfare). Also in the room, seated beside Amber, was newly-minted Lieutenant Ruby Rose. The assembled officers had just been briefed on the situation regarding Poulsbo; the ComStar HPG on Poulsbo had transmitted a message to the array on Pencader, where it had then been passed on until it reached Tharkad – the Commonwealth's representative on Pencader had had the information transmitted to the Hunters as well. While the recharging process of the JumpShips' drives couldn't be sped up, the mercenary unit could be fully briefed on the situation they'd be jumping into. Ruby stood up, drawing Glynda's attention.

"Yes, Lieutenant Rose?" she asked.

"Captain, do we know the size of the Marik force currently at Poulsbo?" Ruby asked, a bit shyly, but feeling a little more confident when she saw Amber nod approvingly out of the corner of her eye.

"According to the troops at Poulsbo, long-range scans picked up one _Overlord_ and two _Unions_ , with approximately three – possibly four – _Leopard CVs_ ," the blonde answered.

"So at least four 'Mech companies?" the new officer added.

"You do know that the _Overlord_ carries a full battalion of thirty-six 'Mechs, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am. But by reducing that complement to twenty-four, they can add in a full company of combat vehicles," the crimsonette replied.

"That is a very good point, Lieutenant," Glynda conceded. "We could be facing up to sixty 'Mechs total, or possibly forty-eight 'Mechs and twelve vehicles, in addition to about 34 Aerospace Fighters."

"We'll be facing roughly five to one odds," Velvet spoke up. "Of course, that's including the pair of fighters attached to the _Beacon_ 's two _Unions_."

"It's entirely possible that the Lyran fighters already at Pouslbo could narrow those odds a bit," Yatsuhashi added. "Provided any of them remain operational by the time we jump in, we can count on their support as we get closer to Poulsbo itself."

"And as far as the jump goes, we'll be hitting Poulsbo's zenith jump point," Glynda said. "Principally as the Mariks jumped in at the nadir point, and I – as well as Colonel Ozpin – would rather not risk the Mariks ignoring the conventions for JumpShips. The other reason is the zenith point is where a recharge station is located. As it is an _Olympus_ -class, it houses six Aerospace Fighters. While unable to join us on the run to Poulsbo, we will ask them to include the _Beacon_ and _Monty Oum_ in their Combat Aerospace Patrol."

"And that's all the information we have?" Amber asked.

"As of now. But we get updates before we jump out, as well as when we jump in. It's a certainty that House Steiner will send reinforcements as soon as they can, but until they arrive – if they do – it'll be up to us and the units on Poulsbo to hold the line."

 ***TCD***

 _Field Base Foxtrot,  
Outside Silverdale, Poulsbo  
Alarion Province, Lyran  
Commonwealth  
12 December 3025_

 _Hauptmann_ Weiss Schnee was troubled as she reviewed the intelligence reports. It seemed that a _third_ _Union_ -class had hidden in the sensor shadow of one of the other two, a daring and dangerous course of action, as well as a testament to the flight crew's skill. The new _Union_ , however, wasn't broadcasting an FWLM code; it was broadcasting one that no one on Poulsbo knew. Weiss suspected it was a mercenary DropShip, though she couldn't fathom why it would be on a Marik raid, or why the Marik's would send their own vessels on a raid if they were using mercenary troops. It was rather perplexing to her, even though – once again – her _kommandant_ had ignored her concerns. The man had even had the nerve to order to change her battle plan to one of his own; she'd refused, and cited the regulations that backed her refusal. Naturally, though, he'd put her on report for insubordination and refusing a direct order.

The hostile DropShips had touched down yesterday afternoon, but not according to her superior's projections; most of them had landed a day's march out from Bangor Military Base, probably with the intent to capture the Drop Port. If they could do that, and set up sufficient lines of defense, it would be easier for them to land reinforcements and conquer Poulsbo. However, the mercenary _Union_ had split off from the League force, along with a _Leopard-CV_. She did have to wonder why a carrier DropShip had diverted from what was apparently the main assault, though four Aero Lances were nothing to sneeze at. Her own pilots would be facing 4:1 odds, especially as none of her 'Mechs were too suitable for anti-air operations. _I never thought I'd actually_ wish _to have a pair of_ Riflemen _under my command_ , she thought; the 60-ton BattleMech was armed with a pair of Large Lasers and AC/5s which, when combined with its specialized targeting array, made it ideal for engaging Aerospace Fighters. Instead, the militia 'Mech company assigned to support her possessed a pair of _Riflemen_ that, while functional, had technical issues (one experienced jamming issues with its autocannons, and the other had targeting glitches). The rest of the militia 'Mechs were consisted of a full lance of _Stingers_ , another of _Wasps_ , with the last two 'Mechs in the command lance consisting of a pair of _Phoenix Hawks_.

"And according to seismic scans," she muttered aloud, "the mercenary force has a full lance of Assault-class BattleMechs and two of Heavies. Even if I sent out a call for reinforcements, there would be no telling when they would arrive – or if they even would, considering the rest of the unit's opinion of me."

"Hauptmann _Weiss? This is_ Hauptmann _Klein of the Ninth Defense Company,"_ crackled across her neurohelmet's communications system. A marvel of technology, the neurohelmet had specialized sensor points that would rest against a pilot's head and use their own sense of balance to assist a 'Mech's gyroscope in keeping the massive machine upright.

"Yes, _Hauptmann_ Klein?" she acknowledged.

" _My scout lances have picked up enemy movement. I had them fall back after that, considering what they're facing."_

"Understandable," she agreed; he may have been her senior in rank and age, but not only was she an LCAF officer, she had also been given operational command. Not to say she wouldn't listen to those who had more experience than her, but Klein listened to what she had to say before addressing it, and he respected her – especially as she was willing to adjust their operational plans to ensure their soldiers' survival as much as possible. "We'll need to know when the enemy is nearing the outer edge of our artillery range in order ensure that the rounds will be fired in time to hit the enemy."

" _We have spotters in place to keep the line of fire adjusted, though we cannot keep a constant barrage on their lead elements with just two Long Toms."_

"I understand. I have all of our LRM-equipped 'Mechs ready for indirect fire, including my own _Zeus_. We'll have to rely on your spotters to fire at maximum range, until our own targeting systems can pick them up."

" _Just don't adhere to the battle plan rigidly,"_ he cautioned her. _"A true commander can adjust his or her plans on the fly to suit the evolving battle situation."_

"And a true leader will do what they can to keep their troops alive," she added; it was something she'd picked up from the Poulsbo native.

" _That's cor- hold on."_ There was a pause that was broken only by a crackle of static before Klein came back. _"Our spotters just reported that the enemy force is ten minutes from the outer edge of the artillery strike zone. Lead elements appear to be a pair each of_ Archers _and_ Quickdraws _. Behind them are two_ Catapults _, a_ Grasshopper _, and…and a_ Flashman _."_

"A _Flashman_?" Weiss echoed. She recalled the design from her studies at the Nagelring, and it was supposedly extinct, though Defiance Industries had retooled an unused production line to begin reproducing the SLDF-era 'Mech.

" _The final lance is their Assault lance,"_ Klein told her. _"The infantry scouts report that they have identified a_ Charger _, a_ Thug _, a_ Crocket _, and a_ Marauder II _."_

Weiss swallowed hard; she definitely was facing a hard, if not seemingly insurmountable, fight. The _Charger_ was often considered a joke, in spite of its 80-ton weight, as it was undergunned for an Assault 'Mech. It was entirely possible, though, that the mercenaries approaching her field base had modified it to actually be somewhat of a threat. And while the other 11 approaching 'Mechs were all dangerous designs, it was the other 3 Assault 'Mechs that worried her. Both the _Thug_ and the _Marauder II_ mounted PPCs, while the _Marauder II_ and the _Crockett_ both carried Large Lasers. The much heavier armor they all carried would make them alone hard enough to take down, and there were the two Heavy lances to worry about.

"Hammer One and Two, Blizzard Actual," she said, after switching frequencies, "begin barrage. Fire for effect, and adjust and fire as called for."

" _Affirmative, Blizzard Actual,"_ the two Mobile Long Toms replied. The massive twin _boom_ s from behind her heralded the firing of the first two artillery shells, and she moved her _Zeus-6T_ up to its first firing position and waited for the signal from the infantry to begin indirect LRM firing.

 ***TCD***

It was a complete surprise to the Iron Bears when one of their two _Archers_ literally exploded, the shockwave and shrapnel from its demise hitting its lancemates hard; in fact, one of the two _Quickdraws_ suffered from a few of the destroyed 70-tonner's LRMs cooking off and slamming into its thin rear armor, detonating its own SRM ammo. Two 'Mechs down before even sighting the local forces, though the two surviving lead pilots realized they'd heard the sounds of incoming artillery rounds before the _Archer_ had died.

The Ursa Major watched from the cockpit of his _Marauder II_ as two of his MechWarriors died, not feeling a shred of sorrow or remorse. Instead, he ordered his Aerospace Fighters to search out and destroy the artillery battery and kept his units marching forward. A few minutes later another artillery barrage landed, but not directly on any Ursae; rather, the near misses managed to blow off the left arm of his last _Archer_ as well as giving a slight limp to one of the _Catapults_.

"Press forward!" the Ursa Major roared. "Maximum speed!"

The Grimm surged forward, each of the 'Mechs moving at their full speed. The hatches on the missile launchers of the _Catapults_ and _Archer_ lifted up in preparation for launching. The injured _Catapult_ began falling behind its lancemates, its maximum speed reduced due to the damage from the near miss. And right on cue, the sound of incoming artillery rounds was heard seconds before they impacted. This time, it was the Assault lance that suffered from the barrage, though their heavier armor weathered the storm better.

"Forward! Hit them hard and make sure no one survives!"

 ***TCD***

" _They're hitting the LRM range bracket! Positions Alpha to Delta!"_ came across Weiss's commline.

"Fire!" she ordered. "Make sure to hit the pre-designated firing points and adjust according to spotter information." From her company's LRM-equipped 'Mechs, a grand total of 135 missiles shot out, joined by the salvos from those militia 'Mechs similarly equipped.

" _Blizzard Actual, Scout Team Alpha-Niner. LRM salvo was dead-on. Confirm two additional 'Mechs down: a_ Quickdraw _and a_ Catapult _. One_ Archer _functioning still, but appears to be missing an arm. Enemy units seem to be falling back for the moment."_

"Affirmative, Alpha-Niner," Weiss replied. "Can you identify the unit?"

" _We managed to get some long-range images of the 'Mechs, and saw an emblem but we don't recognize. It appears to be a vertical eye set in what appears to be some sort of compass, with five points extending from the bottom of the eye, all in purple. Transmitting image…..now."_

Weiss pulled the transmitted data up on a secondary monitor, one that was usually used to display the damage done to an opposing unit. The image that popped made her frown; she didn't recognize it at all.

"Just whose emblem is this?" she asked herself. As she set her _Zeus_ 's warbook program to try and match the symbol, she activated her comm.. "Attention all units, this is Blizzard Actual. Do not pursue enemy forces, I repeat, do not pursue. We don't know if there are more forces waiting in ambush. All long range units shift positions to secondary or tertiary positions. Hammer units, begin repositioning to alternate locations. Primary scout teams, fall back to base; secondary teams, relocate to primary positions." As the acknowledgements rolled in, Weiss began mentally composing her reports to both her immediate superior as well as the LCAF high command ( _that_ one she would dispatch separately, as she didn't trust her _kommandant_ ). Staring at the image on her secondary monitor, Weiss couldn't help the chill that ran down her spine – and knew it had absolutely nothing to do with the coolant running through her vest.

 ***TCD***

 _JumpShip_ Monty Oum _, Nadir Jump Point  
Pencader, Alarion Province  
Lyran Commonwealth  
11 December 3025_

"The jump sail will be fully stowed within the next thirty minutes, Captain," said the _Monty Oum_ 's XO. Glynda nodded in acknowledgement.

"Status on the _Beacon_?" she asked.

"As of five minutes ago, they are halfway through sail storage procedures," was the response. The blonde, bespectacled captain groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. After a moment, she came to a decision.

"We won't wait," Glynda said. "As soon as we have confirmed storage on the sail, and all stations report ready, we're jumping to Poulsbo."

"The colonel's orders were to make the jump together, Captain," her XO said.

"I am aware of that. However, the Mariks will be on Poulsbo sometime tomorrow," she stated. "By the time our people reach the planet they will have been on there for over a week. The rest of the Hunters will be behind the Rangers, Lightnings, and Rapiers by only a few hours. As soon as our DropShips launch and are on their way, contact the _Olympus_ station and request permission to dock. We'll begin recharging the jump drive as soon as we can."

"Yes, Captain."

As her ship began readying to execute a jump, Glynda stared out of the bridge viewports, spotting the _Beacon_ by the light reflecting off of its collapsing sail. _You can't keep playing things close to your vest, Ozpin_ , she thought. _You're turning your own people against you. Again. If you had been more open with your plans, your thoughts, so many of our own would not have gone with Salem when she betrayed us all._ A heavy, emotional sigh left her just then. _And perhaps if we_ all _had listened to Raven, Summer would still be alive._

 _DropShip_ Forever Fall _  
Poulsbo, Alrion Province  
Lyran Commonwealth  
11 December 3025_

"Alright, we're on our way to Pouslbo," Vernal said. She turned to Amber, who had been on the bridge when the _Monty Oum_ made its jump. "As we're doing a 'high-speed' run to Poulsbo, we'll cut about two days off of our journey. The bad news is that the Mariks are just one day out from the planet, roughly."

"And anything more than two G's will leave the troops in no condition for a fight once we arrive," Amber mused. "Well, nine days is the best we can do. We'll have to hope the Lyrans can hold out long enough for us to get there."

"What's your plan once we get there?"

"Depends on what the situation on the ground is. Hopefully, we can pull off a standard landing and disembark properly. If not, which will more than likely be the case, I want a low pass over the combat area or near it so our 'Mechs can hot drop."

"That's highly risky, Amber," the short-haired brunette replied. "Both to the people and the 'Mechs."

"We might not have a choice," the other brunette said. "But I have faith in our people."

Vernal sighed, but nodded. "We'll do a high-speed in-run, which means we'll burn at two G's for twenty-four hours, one G for the next twenty-four, and so on, but calculated so that we'll spend the last day decelerating at one G to make sure everyone's recovered enough for the drop."

Amber patted Vernal on the shoulder and left the bridge, heading down to the 'Mech Bay as the spacer began issuing orders to her crew. Amber had her own orders to give, and knew her Techs would need the time at 1G to mount the strap-on disposable jump packs some of her 'Mechs would need – her own _Thug_ and Ruby's _Lancelot_ being two of them. Plus she was going to have her MechWarriors use the simulators to practice hot-dropping, as it wasn't a tactic usually employed by the Rangers. _I have a feeling this mission will be a catalyst that will be a harbinger of things to come_ , she thought, hoping against hope her gut feeling was wrong.

 **E/N:** And things are happening now. The Mariks have attacked Poulsbo, the Grimm are actually on the scene now, and there will be a confrontation between them and the Hunters. How will things fall out from this? What will happen to Weiss? I can tell you one thing, though: you'll have to come back to find out. Never miss a beat.


	7. 6 - Heroes and Monsters

" _It is the 31_ _st_ _century,_

 _And mankind is once again at war._

 _The battlefields of the future_

 _Are dominated by huge robotic war machines_

 _Known as BattleMechs._

 _Piloting these awesome weapons of war_

 _Are men and women, the elite of the elite,_

 _Knowing each battle could be their last._

 _They are…._

 _MechWarriors."_

~MechWarrior 3 Opening Text

 **6 – Heroes and Monsters**

 _DropShip_ Forever Fall _  
Poulsbo, Alarion Province  
Lyran Commonwealth  
21 December 3025_

"All hands, prepare for de-orbital burn in three minutes," Vernal said over the shipwide comm. "MechWarriors, be prepared for a fly-by hot drop and keep an eye on your IFF indicators. The Lyrans we're reinforcing are down there and we don't want to go shooting them. Everyone be ready; we'll be doing a flyby drop before heading towards that forward operating base we saw."

"Captain," said the _Fall_ 's sensor operator called out. "The rest of the Hunters are still twenty-four hours out."

"I know, Ensign. Our orders, however, are to reinforce the LCAF command on-world and assist in throwing back the Marik raiders."

"The colonel-"

"Prefers to wait until it's nearly too late or things are actually going to Fuck Town at lightspeed before acting," she countered. "I am in agreement with the lieutenant colonel on this. We have to act, and act now. Better a wrong decision now than a right decision too late."

"Incoming fighters!" the sensor operator shouted out. "Sensors indicate they're _Stukas_! Running the IFF tags through the warbook now!"

"Vector our fighters to intercept and begin our de-orbit burn now!" Vernal snapped. "Tell everyone to strap-"

"Captain! Warbook indicates they're….they're…." the sensor operator paled as he stared at the emblem and words on his screen. "They're the Grimm."

 ***TCD***

 _Silver Hills Plain, near Silverdale  
Poulsbo, Alarion Province  
Lyran Commonwealth  
16 December 3025_

Weiss side-stepped her _Zeus_ to left, out of the way of a large laser blast and leveled her 'Mech's left arm. Triggering the PPC mounted there, she watched as the burst of charged particles slammed into the side of the charging black-painted _Grasshopper_. The 70-tonner staggered back a couple of steps, but resumed its charge. She triggered her Large Laser, as well as her forward-firing Medium, drenching herself in sweat as her cockpit's heat levels soared even higher. The Medium Laser splashed off of the black 'Mech's front torso, eating into the armor a bit, but the Larger Laser's beam hit the same spot her PPC burst had. The crimson beam punched through the armor and obviously struck the ammunition bin for the _Grasshopper_ 's head-mounted LRM-5 launcher, detonating the rounds still in it. Explosions and flame erupted from the side of the machine, staggering it far more heavily than her attacks had. Then it faded from her sensors as its fusion reactor's control system engaged the dampening system, shutting it down to prevent an overload. All up and down the line, both militia and Lyran 'Mechs were engaged or had fallen. Though the forces she was commanding had, at the beginning of the engagements, outnumbered the invaders by about 4:1 (a 2:1 advantage in just BattleMechs), whoever these mercenaries were didn't care about the damage done to their own machines – or even the heat levels they caused by their weapons fire. However, they didn't just throw themselves recklessly into battle; whoever the pilot of the black and white _Marauder II_ was, they were obviously the leader and were just as obviously directing the battle within precision and cunning.

" _They're falling back again!"_ someone shouted over the commline. Weiss didn't bother to berate them for improper communications protocol; after days of periodic assaults and no reinforcements or support from the rest of the battalion – or even the militia forces – she just didn't care anymore.

"Get the most heavily damaged units back to the mobile field bases first," she ordered, referring to the field gantries that were set up and looked more like frame-and-sheet-metal 'Mech cubicle knockoffs. "Any 'Mechs with primarily beams weapons, or who still have sufficient ammunition I want to remain on the line unless they fall under the first category. Any 'Mechs that can remain on the line in case this is a feint should do so. I want ammo trucks ready for resupply as well. And get personnel out to the line with water and food." As her orders were carried out, Weiss popped the visor on her neurohelmet and swiped her brow with a damp rag that she'd been carrying around now; in fact, by this point, she was clad pretty much only in her combat boots, skintight shorts, and what amounted to a sports bra underneath her cooling vest. Her cockpit was pretty much a constant sauna now, making her grateful that her _Zeus_ was completely out of rounds for her LRM launcher. She'd restricted use of her PPC unless she felt assured of a hit, as the high heat it generated taxed her heat dissipation a lot, and relied upon her Large and Medium Lasers with only occasional bursts from the particle cannon.

"Hauptmann _? You should fall back as well, ma'am,"_ said Klein, his battered _Orion_ limping up to her. _"You're missing a good chunk of armor over your ammo bin, and you've got a coolant leak in your right torso."_ Weiss checked her damage display and was shocked to realize there wasn't a single green indicator for her armor, most of it being yellow and red; plus, it looked like she barely had any armor left over her PPC – as in one hit would, at best, take it out and at worst cause the energy coils to overload and explode, which could cause neurofeedback (which has its own issues). Sighing, she reopened her comm.

"Alright," she reluctantly agreed. "What's your condition?"

" _Full load of SRMs, autocannon is down to five shots, LRM ammunition depleted, lasers at full charge,"_ he replied. _"My armor is enough to hold out for a few minutes if they return."_

"Very well, Klein. Don't hesitate to call for an artillery strike; they still have sufficient rounds for support fire." With that, she turned her _Zeus_ around and wearily made her way the fifteen minutes from the current frontline to the field base, though it actually took her longer as even her 'Mech was as worn out as she was. As she walked it over to a gantry and docked it, beginning the shutdown sequence, she felt the loss of the base's communications system even more – the surprise strike by the mercenary fighters had destroyed the command/control field facilities, but one of the two attackers had been destroyed by the air defense units before they could hit the ammo dump for the Mobile Long Toms. Without that artillery battery providing long-range support, the hostile force arrayed against them wouldn't be held back.

And she had a feeling that she wanted to avoid that outcome at all costs.

 ***TCD***

 _Silver Hills Plain, Poulsbo  
Alarion Province,  
Lyran Commonwealth  
21 December 3025_

"This is it," Weiss said as she watched the mercenaries charge her line again. The near constant attacks had worn her forces down to a reinforced company made up of elements of her own personal command and the militia forces, not including the lance of vehicles left to her. Her _Zeus_ was down by three Heat Sinks, and the armor over her empty missile launcher was more memory than actual protection. On the other side of the coin, the enemy's units were sporting patches of primered replacement armor and undoubtedly were carrying at least half-loads for their ammunition-fed weapons. She had put out a call for reinforcements, but hadn't received a response; she hadn't heard anything since the first landings. She was thinking she'd been written off, her _kommandant_ hoping she'd be killed in the fighting so he wouldn't have to deal with her.

Pushing the thought from her mind, she leveled her PPC at an approaching _Marauder II_ , brought her Large Laser onto the same target interlock circuit, and depressed the trigger. The discharge of the weapons drew a gasp and fresh wave of sweat from her, but she barely noticed the latter as she was already drenched in sweat. The laser arrived first, scorching a furrow into the 100-ton 'Mech's armor, before the PPC struck in a burst of heat and kinetic energy. The heavier 'Mech, without pausing its stride, angled its torso to face her and triggered its own arm-mounted PPCs and the larger laser it carried in place of its lighter cousin's autocannon. The transference of so much heat and kinetic energy caused her _Zeus_ to tip backward, the gyro sounding like an aerofighter engine spooling up as it tried – and failed – to keep the 'Mech upright. 80 tons of steel and myomer crashed into the earth, causing Weiss's head to slam into her command seat, and making her bite into her tongue. Her vision swimming, she struggled to get her 'Mech upright even as the seven remaining hostiles ripped her forces apart with an impossible fury. Coming to her feet, Weiss scanned her damage display even as she noticed the titan now bearing down on her. After that assault, her frontal armor was pretty much non-existent, and she imagined it looked as though a wild animal had savaged it. Once again taking aim at the _Marauder II_ , she threw her _Zeus_ into a run, charging at the enemy with everything she had in true Lyran fashion.

Meanwhile, the _Forever Fall_ was passing over the battlezone with its 'Mech Bay doors open. Ruby was ensconced in her _Lancelot_ 's cockpit, gripping her control sticks in a death grip; Amber had relayed the identification of the Marik mercenaries, which had flooded Ruby with a savage fury.

" _We're approaching the battlezone now,"_ Vernal relayed. _"Rose Lance, Ranger Company, you're first to drop."_ Ruby didn't pay attention to anything after that; nothing seemed important after learning she'd be the first to engage the Betrayer's forces. But unlike when Yang gets angry, Ruby's anger sharpened her focus to a razor's edge; as though it was a boost, a catalyst, that turned her into a goddess of war. This would be her first engagement against the Grimm, and soon the warrior would run wild.

With a jolt her _Lancelot_ was released from the DropShip, the bolt-on retro-boosters kicking in almost immediately to ease the landing of 60 tons of metal and myomer. The forward momentum of the DropShip caused her to skid several meters, but Ruby used that to get to her maximum speed quicker. Engaging her targeting system, even as she ordered the rest of her lance to spread out and concentrate fire on the most threatening targets, she noticed a barely standing _Zeus_ with Lyran markings going up against a _Marauder II_. Bringing her weapons online, she switched her PPC to the same target interlock circuit (TIC) as her Large Lasers and triggered them. Any sort of decent accuracy should have been pretty much impossible at a full run; Ruby's attack hit the Assault 'Mech right in the shoulder, the combined assault actually blasting the arm – and its PPC/Medium Laser combo – right off and causing it to slam into another Grimm 'Mech. The 100-ton machine staggered at the loss of so much weight, allowing the Lyran _Zeus_ a chance to trigger its own PPC and ripping up more of its torso armor. Ruby strafed her 'Mech, avoiding the beam of the Grimm 'Mech's Large Laser, and triggered her own recharged Large Lasers, the twin crimson beams piercing into its left side jump jet mount and savaging it. As the heat in her cockpit rose – in spite of the LNC25-01's DHS (Double Heat Sinks) – so did her anger. She would have fired off her now-recharged PPC, but unbidden an image of her girlfriend, Velvet, rose in front of her mind's eye and her anger cooled almost instantly, but the heightened combat state seemed to remain.

As Ruby teamed up with the battered _Zeus_ to take on the Grimm _Marauder II_ , the rest of her lance and Ranger Company took on what was left of the Grimm company, coming to the aid of the depleted LCAF/militia troops. It was obvious that the Grimm MechWarrior was shocked by the speed at which her 60-ton Heavy 'Mech moved while having the firepower it did. After all, it was rare in the post-Star League age to see a Heavy BattleMech moving with the same speed and mobility as a Medium or Light while retaining the firepower associated with its weight class. The Lyran _Zeus_ exploited the chink in its armor and lanced its own Large Laser into the exploded jump jet, causing another explosion to rock the heavier 'Mech. That attack provided enough of a distraction for Ruby to use her superior speed to arc around to the _Marauder II_ 's rear, and fire off an Alpha Strike into its thinner rear armor. Though the wave of heat that blasted through her cockpit threatened to send the _Lancelot_ into shutdown before its DHS could bleed it off, the result was worth it as the blue-white fire of the PPC, the twin crimson lances of her Large Lasers, and the emerald beam of her Medium ripped through the rear of the 'Mech and into its fusion reactor. There was a moment where nothing seemed to happen…..and then the _Marauder II_ exploded like a massive fragmentation grenade, rocketing debris in every direction. After the flash and smoke from the explosion vanished, Ruby saw that the only thing left of the Grimm was its legs.

The Assault 'Mech's death seemed to be a signal for the rest of the Grimm, as in a stunned daze they attempted to pull back. But Ranger Company refused to let them; Amber's pain and fury was just as great as Ruby's, as Salem's personal lance had wiped out her own – one of her lancemates being Amber's own sister. Ozpin didn't approve of the attitude some of the Hunters had towards Salem's Grimm, that of wiping them out completely, but those that held that attitude didn't care. The rumors they'd heard about what the Grimm did, the blatant execution of defeated soldiers as well as the outright massacre of civilians meant no quarter would be offered to them by the Hunters. Strangely enough, it was everyone assigned to the _Monty Oum_ and its attached DropShips and personnel that held that attitude. Ozpin didn't see, or perhaps didn't believe, that his 'wait-and-watch' approach was leading the Hunters to yet another schism, on perhaps that the mercenary unit couldn't bounce back from (though it was doubtful _this_ schism – if it did happen – would be a violent one).

But after the Betrayal, none of the Hunters would break faith – unless something extreme happened.

 ***TCD***

Blake landed her _Spider_ in the rear quarter of a Grimm _Charger_ , the 80-ton Assault 'Mech armed just as well as her much lighter machine. When it was developed, the CGR-1A1 was intended to be a heavy-weight scout meant only to gather information and not engage combat; its only weapons are five Small Lasers. The _ronin_ triggered her twin center-torso Medium Lasers, the paired emerald beams lancing into the massive machine's back. Even with it possessing thinner armor on the back than the front, and in spite of the damage it had already taken, there was still enough armor to withstand the force of her strike. The Grimm began ponderously turning around, but as it did so Ren's _Assassin_ landed to its left, and fired its own Medium Lasers into the same spot Blake had, the range being too close to add in his LRMs. White smoke began streaming from the newly opened rent in the armor, indicating a Heat Sink had been ruptured. The MechWarrior inside twisted his 'Mech's torso, bringing its arm up and firing off the sapphire beam of its Small Laser. The strike barely dimpled the 40-ton 'Mech's armor, and Blake fired off another blast of her Medium Lasers into the _Charger_ 's back, striking the same place as before. Then a gout of flame erupted against the 80-tonner's back as Yang's _Hunchback_ charged it, smoke curling from the shoulder-mounted AC/20. The massive scout 'Mech fully turned to face the running 50-tonner – just in time to have its face explode outward as Yang's reloaded autocannon erupted again.

" _Alright! That's what I call going out with a 'Yang'!"_ she crowed. Blake groaned at the pun. Her boyfriend chuckled.

" _Let her have that one, Blake,"_ he said. _"At least it wasn't-"_

" _HAMMER TIME!"_ came Nora's shout over the lance's channel. They all turned in time to see Nora's _Swayback_ land on a pillar of fusion fire as her hammer slams into the head of a Grimm _Crockett_. While it didn't do the same damage as Yang's AC/20, her strike smashed the Assault 'Mech's face in, turning the pilot into a bloody pulp. And that was that; the death of the _Crockett_ 's pilot signaled the end of the last of the Grimm.

" _Who do you think you are?"_ came over Ruby's commline. Turning her 'Mech, she saw the Lyran _Zeus_ stalking towards her. Well, stalking as best as a barely functioning 80-ton Assault 'Mech could.

"Lieutenant Ruby Rose, Ranger Company, Hunters," she replied. "And you?"

"Hauptmann _Weiss Schnee, Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces. Just what the hell are you thinking?! You people killed them all!"_

"They're the Grimm," Ruby replied, her tone so cold it would've frozen Tharkad itself. "We don't suffer the Grimm to live."

" _They were_ people _, you dolt!"_

"Merely monsters in human skin," Ruby snapped. "It's obvious you know nothing of them, otherwise you'd have been right there with us. Oh, and you're welcome for the save."

 _HPG Compound, Bangor  
Heights  
Poulsbo, Alarion Province  
Lyran Commonwealth  
22 December 3025_

Secure within one of the private, secure rooms of the HPG station on Poulsbo, a figure inserted a blank message block into the console in the room, then waited until the system indicated it was ready for recording. Once it signaled ready, the figure spoke.

"The Hunters have arrived on Poulsbo. They completely annihilated our forces that were attached to the Marik raiders. The raid was a failure in accomplishing its objective – as far as the Marik's are concerned. Your objective, however, was met in a manner of speaking. Though the Schnee girl lives, her commander hung her command out to dry. The town of Silver Hills suffered damage from bombing runs from the Grimm fighters, and the blame is being placed squarely on the new _hauptmann_. Her disregard of her commander's orders is also working against her, in spite of her success in holding off our people. The Daughter of the Rose still seeks your death, Mistress. The Hunters themselves are divided, with the ones following Ozpin preferring to wait until you make your move before reacting, while the rest seem to be rallying behind the Rose though she doesn't yet know it." He stopped the recording and ejected the block from the console, after encrypting it with a code that existed only between himself, and the leader of the Grimm herself. Leaving the room, he handed the block to a ComStar acolyte, with the C-bills necessary to ensure it was sent priority alpha as well as discretely. Then the figure left the HPG compound to return to the Drop Port.

 **E/N:** Bam! If you missed it before, then here's a reminder that there's a Grimm spy in the Hunters. All of RWBY is now in the same area together, and Ruby's skills have definitely improved. Next chapter will cover the immediate aftermath of the raid, with possibly other events occurring. Never miss a beat.


	8. 7 - Fallout

" _It is the 31_ _st_ _century,_

 _And mankind is once again at war."_

 _A shadow is coming._

 _Sides will be drawn and lines will be crossed._

 _The fallout that follows_

 _Will change the course of many lives._

 _For the truth can often be found_

 _In the crucible of battle._

 **7 – Fallout**

 _Bangor Base, Poulsbo  
Alarion Province,  
Lyran Commonwealth  
23 December 3025_

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a Lieutenant Rose?"

Pulling her head out of her _Lancelot_ 's torso, Ruby turned around saw a snow-haired woman in the dress uniform of a Lyran Commonwealth _hauptmann_ talking to one of the Techs, who pointed right to her. Ruby waved as the woman looked right at her and did a double-take; she obviously wasn't expecting a MechWarrior to be working on her own ride. Grabbing a blue oil cloth, she wiped her hands on it and took a howdah down to the ground level. Her black and red jumpsuit was unzipped and rolled down to her waist, where she'd tied the arms together, leaving her torso clad in just a sports bra. Rubbing her palms on her pants legs, she walked over to the Lyran officer and held out a hand. With only a small hesitation and slight disgust, she accepted the offered handshake (Ruby could tell the disgust had to do with the possibility of grease and 'Mech fluids or whatnot being on it)

"I'm Lieutenant Rose, but you can call me Ruby," she told her. "We're not much on formality here, though we do respect ranks and such." It was obvious the other woman was taken aback by the easygoing yet still somewhat professional demeanor.

"Yes, well," she said, clearing her throat, "I'm _Hauptmann_ Weiss Schnee of the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces."

"Nice to meet you, Weissy," Ruby said.

"It's _Hauptman_ -"

"Yeah, yeah," the crimsonette interrupted dismissively, shocking the other woman. "I told you we aren't big on formality. Besides, you look uncomfortable using titles and all of that. So. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I just wanted to extend my gratitude to you for your assistance in the battle the other day." Weiss frowned. "Though I must say that I found it appalling that you and your people just…executed those mercenaries like that."

"It's obvious you don't know who they are," Ruby said softly, her easy manner evaporating like armor from a PPC strike. "They're known as the Grimm. I'm not surprised, really, that you have no idea who they are. Most of the time, those tthey engage aren't in a position to report on them. The Grimm tie into the history of the Hunters….as well as my own."

Weiss could hear the repressed pain in the younger woman's voice. "So would I be correct in assuming that these….Grimm….were once members of the Hunters?"

"Yes," Ruby confirmed, softly. "They formed a little over seven years ago, when pretty much half of our unit we had back then turned on the rest, the Betrayal being led by a woman named Salem. We were under contract with House Steiner back then, too, and Salem and her people turned on us and vanished into the Free Worlds League. They have made appearances over the years since, though we only have hearsay and rumor as to their actions – except a few times when we've managed to directly engage them. Myself and the company I belong to – along with a couple of other companies – believe that they should be wiped out not just for splitting the Hunters apart, but also for killing our people." Ruby looked down for a moment. "They murdered civilians during their escape including some of our own."

"Blake's Blood," Weiss breathed, shocked by the disclosure.

"Yeah, so, those of us attached to the JumpShip _Monty Oum_ have taken oaths to wipe out the Grimm. Our commanding officer, Colonel Ozpin, doesn't agree with that. He prefers a 'wait and see' approach."

"Well, that can be a good strategy at times, but not a sustainable one," Weiss replied.

"Exactly!" Ruby agreed. "Wait and see can work when you don't know what you're facing, but in this case it won't work. I….I can be impatient at times, and I know we have contractual obligations, but we need to deal with the Grimm before things get worse."

"I can relate to having a superior officer that doesn't listen," Weiss told her. "Ever since I was assigned here, I've found myself stonewalled by my fellow _hauptmann_ as well as my _kommandant_."

"I'm guessing the dispersal was his decision?"

"It was a foolish decision. Overall, the battalion suffered thirty percent material losses, at most of it being in my company, as after your arrival and assistance I only had a lance of 'Mechs able to leave the battlefield under their own power." Her shoulders slumped. "And these Grimm killed every one of my soldiers that ejected from their 'Mechs. And that's not counting the militia troops under were placed under my command."

"Well, considering you were hamstrung by not having a good supply line to your field base, you did amazing."

"Thank you. So, as to why I was searching you out. My reasons are more than just wanting to thank you."

"If it's about the so-called 'romance' of being a soldier-for-hire-"

"It's not that. Believe me, I have no illusions that such a life is like the holovids portray it. You essentially live contract to contract, and have to negotiate them so that you can be able to pay your people, acquire supplies and such. And speaking of supplies and gear…." She gazed up at the _Lancelot_ behind Ruby. "I've never heard of a _Lancelot_ moving as fast as yours does while still maintaining that level of firepower."

"That's because _Crescent Rose_ is one of the last – if not the last – functioning LNC-twenty-five-zero-one," Ruby replied. Weiss couldn't stop her jaw from dropping open.

"You mean-"

"Yep. It's an original Star League-era design, with the original targeting system, double heat sinks, and an extra-light engine."

"How do you keep it functional?" Weiss asked, stunned. Ruby's demeanor fell.

"I don't know if we can anymore. It….it used to belong to my mom, and she said they'd discovered it in an old Star League cache back during the Hunters' early days. There were other _Lancelots_ there, along with a small supply of spare parts for them. The other three were…dismantled for their equipment and parts, and were used to keep my mom's 'Mech functional. I learned all I could about it to keep it going, but….the parts have run out and it's getting harder and harder to keep it running. I'm going to have to retire it."

"What will happen to it then?"

"Well, if certain members of the Hunters have their way, it'll be dismantled for useable parts and the rest sold off for scrap," she explained. "However, I intend for it to be shipped to my homeworld of Patch and placed in storage. Hopefully, one day, the Great Houses will rediscover Lostech again and I'll be able to bring her back."

"What will you use in the meantime?" Weiss asked, actually concerned for this young woman.

"I…I don't know, to be honest," Ruby admitted. "I mean, there aren't any other Heavy 'Mechs that have that same blend of speed and firepower. Not anymore, anyway. Though to be honest, I piloted _Crescent Rose_ to honor my mom's memory. I'm pretty good with it, but…I don't know. I'd like more speed, you know? What's the point of having to take hits to be able to deliver one? If you're good enough, you can use speed and mobility to evade incoming fire long enough to deliver the hits you need. And bigger 'Mechs take longer to turn around to engage a target, even adding in torso twisting."

"Seems to me you'd need a Medium or probably a Light, in that case," the Lyran said.

"Yeah. Until then, though, I'll be using my _Lancelot_."

 ***TCD***

"You can't be serious!" Weiss snapped in disbelief. It was a couple of hours after her rather enlightening conversation with Ruby, and she was now in a meeting with her CO, where she'd just been informed that the near loss of Poulsbo was being blamed on her.

"Oh, I am entirely serious," the _kommandant_ replied. "If you had followed the tactical operations plan I had come up with, your company wouldn't have been virtually wiped out, and neither would the militia forces you had been given."

"I wasn't given adequate supplies for my part of _your_ plan," she countered. "And we would've been destroyed within the first day or two if we had stuck to _your_ plan. Dispersing the battalion, instead of concentrating it so we could mutual cover fire and work our various strengths together while we waited for reinforcements would've cost us-"

"Enough!" the main shouted, rising to his feet as he slammed his fist down on the table. "That is enough of your drabble, _hauptmann_! You disobeyed your superior officer, cost the Lyran Commonwealth millions of kroner in lost equipment, not to mention the lives lost! And don't think that your father will be able to help you; a high-priority HPG transmission arrived yesterday, sent directly from the Schnee Defense Corporation's primary facility on Atlas. Your father has disowned you from the Schnee family for your actions here, as well as requiring the assistance of mere mercenaries in order to drive off an inferior enemy." Weiss couldn't believe what she was hearing, and snatched the print out from his hand, reading it for herself. She felt numb as she saw he wasn't lying. He continued, "Also, as punishment for your actions, you are hereby dishonorable discharged from the LCAF. Normally, a tribunal would be held to determine if a court martial hearing would needed. However, I was given sole authority on your disposition by Frederick Steiner himself and this what I have decided. You will no longer sully the Lyran military with your actions." He held out his hand. "Your officer's jacket, _frauline_. As well as the martial symbols of your former rank." Weiss angrily shrugged out of her jacket, leaving her clad in her dress pants and the formal white shirt worn underneath. She dropped it to the floor, along with the sword and pistol she was entitled to wear.

"Get them yourself, you _Hurensohn_!" She turned on her heel and stormed out of the office, leaving her former CO gaping at her in shock.

 ***TCD***

Union _-class DropShip_ Wizard _  
Bangor Heights Drop Port_

With both the _Beacon_ and the _Monty Oum_ under the protection of the recharge station's protective fighters, Ozpin had made the decision to launch all of the _Star Lord_ -class's DropShips. And while they had jumped two hours after the _Monty Oum_ , the smaller JumpShip's DropShips developed a superior lead on the rest of the Hunters' DropShips as Ozpin wasn't willing to risk a high-speed run-in. Before he'd allowed the transports to detach and burn to Poulsbo, he had expressed his disapproval of Glynda's actions, from her not waiting so both interstellar transports could jump together to her orders regarding the DropShips assigned to her JumpShip. By the time the rest of the Hunters had arrived – with their overall heavier combat assets – Ranger and Lightning Companies had effectively blunted the Marik push, which included the complete destruction of the mercenaries attached to them. He'd received the reports that the company of mercenaries was, indeed, from the Grimm, and had been highly disappointed in the Rangers; not that Amber cared about his approval. After all, she had lost her original command lance to Salem in the Betrayal, and would've died herself if her 'Mech's computer hadn't scrammed the reactor and caused the machine to fall, knocking her out (the damage done to it had fortunately been enough to make Salem's lance believe the MechWarrior inside was dead, and the other members of Maiden Lance had been killed).

Right now, the commanding officer of the Hunters was ensconced inside his office aboard the _Union_ -class _Wizard_ , going over the after-action reports of his commanders, as well as dealing with a rather unpleasant _kommandant_ (the equivalent rank in the Hunters would be 'major') who seemed to have little regard for mercenaries – in spite of the fact that a single mixed-company of BattleMechs had wiped out a force of mercenaries that were fanatically devoted to causing death and destruction. He knew that such a main would more than likely inappropriately deploy the Hunters to deal with future incursions, potentially leading to an incident similar to what had happened with the LCAF and militia troops near Silver Hills. He had reviewed the _kommandant_ 's tactical operations plan, and the deployment of the aforementioned troops, and had immediately noticed the discrepancy – as well as the superiority of the troops' actual positioning. The officer in charge, a _Hauptmann_ Weiss Schnee, had demonstrated a detailed knowledge not only of tactics but also of her troops and their equipment. The positioning of the Mobile Long Toms, as well as the layering of the LRM-equipped 'Mechs and the deployment of the vehicles and infantry, spoke to a highly tactical mind. While not geared towards high-level strategic thinking, Ozpin admitted that her tactical acumen would one day be without equal – if she was given the chance to develop it properly.

And then there was Lieutenant Rose. She was developing into an exceptional MechWarrior, and was showing signs of being more than just a lance commander one day. The only obstacles to that he could see was her impulsive nature, refusal to back down on her stance towards the Grimm, and her seeming disregard for authority (specifically his, though that never occurred to him). Case in point was the current assignment of the Hunters to Poulsbo, and the fact that she was one of the proponents for the _Monty Oum_ to make an immediate jump to the system and for the DropShips to launch immediately. Though it turned out well, and managed to save a few Lyran troops at Silver Hills – along with the rest of the battalion scattered elsewhere – it still stood that she had, to an extent, disobeyed orders and protocol. A sigh escaped the gray-haired man; he knew he couldn't discipline any of those who had 'jumped the gun' as the ancient Terran phrase went, as the success of their actions – contrary to the words of the LCAF officers on-world – had won over the populace. He had dispatched his own report to the Lyran mercenary liaison as well as the LCAF high command, complete with gun camera footage from Ranger Company, as per the contract. So in addition to the commendation he put into Ruby's file, he also added a notation reprimanding her for killing enemy pilots deliberately (of course, he had to add that same notation to the files of everyone in Ranger and Lightning Companies).

Whether consciously or not, Ozpin was disregarding the fact that the Grimm – Salem's Grimm – were known to execute everyone in their path, regardless of whether they were soldiers or not. While Ozpin knew that Salem was capable of extreme actions, he didn't seem to acknowledge just how dark she could be, in spite of the evidence from seven years ago.

 ***TCD***

 _Little Bear Island,  
Carver V  
Capellan Confederation_

The Capellan lances moved cautiously through the desert of Little Bear Island on Carver V. This area wasn't entirely desert, as it had rocky canyons and arroyos in it. A few days ago, a Liao scout lance consisting of a pair of _Stingers_ backed up by a _Wasp_ and a 40-ton _Cicada_ had vanished with no warning. Satellite scans had detected a _Leopard_ -class DropShip just before it had hit the atmospheric interface; the DropShip hadn't been broadcasting an IFF of any kind, and any sensors near it had either been destroyed or otherwise disabled. It had vanished somewhere in the northern desert areas, and a scout lance had been deployed to locate it. The CCAF commander hadn't been worried, as he assumed it was a pirate raid of some kind. And then the scout lance missed its scheduled check in time, and the subsequent ones, and never returned to base. Thus two more lances were dispatched, consisting of three _Stingers_ , two _Cicadas_ , a pair of _Vindicators_ , and a _Centurion_. Their orders were to determine what had happened to the missing lance, and deal with any invaders.

The trio of _Stingers_ led the formation, positioned in a wedge with the two _Cicadas_ trailing behind them in a line astern formation. Covering the rear was the company commander's _Centurion_ , with the _Vindicators_ ahead of it to make a reverse wedge. Though a much-maligned 'Mech, the 50-ton _Centurion_ packed a powerful AC/10 for its right forearm. The _Vindicators_ each carried a devastating PPC for their right arm, though it generated a high level of heat. Of course, while the CCAF commander wanted to ascertain the fate of the missing lance, he didn't feel it needed actual military attention – as the missing scout lance was in fact part of the planetary militia – and so the two dispatched lances were also militia units. So while they were repaired enough to be functional and operate in combat, they were all older machines and as such suffered from slipshod maintenance.

" _This is about where the scout lance last transmitted from,"_ the company commander said. _"Keep your eyes open and your sensors on full gain. Space Traffic Control only picked up the one rogue DropShip, but that_ Leopard _could be carrying Heavy BattleMechs."_

The scout 'Mechs spread out a bit more, not only to cover more area but to also provide wider fields of fire and mutual fire support. After half an hour had passed with no sign of anything, the scout leader radioed his CO….only to encounter static. Confused, he tried again only to get more static. The MechWarrior checked in with the rest of the scout 'Mechs, and had no communication issues. Shrugging, the Capellan put it down to his comm unit needing repair and continued with the pre-established search grid

Of course, he didn't know that his commanding officer would never be able to respond again, as the crimson beam from a Large Laser had pierced the _Centurion_ 's viewport at just the right angle to penetrate it and vaporize the pilot inside. The 50-ton 'Mech staggered forward like a drunk before collapsing, the _Vindicators_ slowing and turning in the direction the shot had come from. Looking outside their own viewports showed nothing they could see, and their sensors were showing static-touched images along with sensor ghosts. Long-range communications also seemed to be out, so the two 45-ton 'Mechs were on their own. Rather than attempting to link up with their five scout 'Mechs, these two MechWarriors decided that together they could take out whoever had killed their commander. As they marched towards the position their short-range sensors painted the shot as having come from, explosions erupted from around their feet as the weight of their steps set off a series of buried anti-'Mech vibrabombs. The leftmost _Vindicator_ staggered out of the explosions, limping because of the moderate damage it had taken to its ankle actuators. The other one stumbled forward, its right foot blown completely off. As its weight came down on the exposed and crippled ankle actuator, the weakened lower leg began breaking and shattering from supporting weight it no longer could and the 'Mech collapsed to the right – its fall setting off more vibrabombs, which included one right underneath where the cockpit landed.

The last _Vindicator_ wavered, uncertain. The MechWarrior inside had no idea how big the minefield was, nor where unknown assailant was. The Capellan decided that discretion was the better part of valor and began falling back, hoping to link up with the rest of the unit. A sound over his 'Mech's external microphones caused him to raise and fire his PPC in panic, the ball of man-made lightning blasting out and impacting against a rocky outcropping, sending rock and sand everywhere while turning the rest into molten rock and glass – and the flash revealing a streamlined, angular hull. The pilot watched as what was obviously a 'Mech of some kind twisted slightly at its waist, what was obviously a Large Laser as its right arm aligning with the _Vindicator_ 's cockpit. The last sight the Capellan ever saw were the paired flashes of a Large and Medium Laser.

 ***TCD***

Raven stalked her 35-ton RVN-1X forward, using her HUD (Heads-Up Display) to keep track of where the remaining vibrabombs were at. Although it took time, she made sure to pause at each downed Liao 'Mech and plant a tracking beacon before moving on. Once she'd tagged each one, she remounted her _Raven_ and began moving at its maximum speed of 86.4 kilometers per hour (kph) along the path the other Liao 'Mechs had taken. Though all of them could outrun her, and all of them together outmassed her, Raven had the edge with her 'Mech. She'd stolen it from House Liao - which, when she thought about it, seemed to be a theme – in 3024, when she'd stumbled upon a secret facility hidden behind the façade of a tile manufacturing plant. She didn't just steal the sole machine stored there, she also stole every bit of data on it before wiping the computers and planting stolen demolition charges all over the place. Fortunately for her, the 35-ton Light 'Mech hadn't yet been imprinted for a pilot, so it was child's play to link the neurohelmet and motherboard from her destroyed _Firebee_ to the bird-like 'Mech and make off with it. She found it hilariously ironic that her new BattleMech was called the _Raven_ – though it was a bit vexing when she found out how temperamental its 7.5-ton Electronic Warfare Gear was. But a year-and-a-half of ownership and maintenance had helped her tweak it until the equipment worked better than its specifications indicated it would. And as it was a prototype, the bases of the shoulder mounts featured linkages similar to those seen on the much older _Mercury_ line of 'Mechs, allowing it to carry whatever weapons could be fit onto the 35-ton frame. Of course, if she dropped the heavy EW equipment it'd allow for a more varied loadout but she felt the gear's value made up for the fact that her 'Mech mounted only a Large Laser as the right arm, and a Medium for the left.

It hadn't escaped her attention that her weapon choices were similar in a way to that armament carried by her fallen love's _Lancelot_ – which was now piloted by their daughter.

Trailing along behind the Capellan 'Mechs, she knew that they were going to be in for a surprise, as their path would lead them to where her DropShip lay in wait. Exactly as she planned, since she knew that the person her intelligence had indicated she needed was one of those scout pilots. _One step closer_ , she thought, quashing down the wave of guilt that started to rise up in her. She knew that she'd abandoned both of her daughters, daughters that she and Summer had raised together since they were both born, and that she'd been trusted to care for. She had let her sense of loss, of pain, her need for vengeance, consume her until that was all she'd cared for. She wouldn't falter now, even as deep within her guarded and closed off heart something cried out for her family.

 ***TCD***

 _Raise the Bar,  
Bangor Heights, Poulsbo  
Lyran Commonwealth_

With the Marik raiders have been destroyed or driven off, the Hunters had assumed their garrison posting as their orders had directed – much to the distaste of the _kommandant_. Other LCAF units were on the way to reinforce Poulsbo, and allow the devastated unit currently on-world to withdraw for rest, relaxation, and rebuilding. The planetary militia was just as shattered, since the _kommandant_ had used them as a shield for his own forces (unlike Weiss, who had worked with the militia troops assigned to her); however, they would have to recruit from Poulsbo's citizens – as was standard for a planetary militia. Their equipment would be replaced by salvaged Marik machines, even though the Hunters' contract allowed them first pick at salvage (which they took advantage of, but donated the gear to the planetary militia, allowing it to actually come out better equipped than they'd been prior to the attack). Right now, two members of Ranger Company were out and about in the capital, taking leave – with permission – from the base. They weren't the only ones enjoying a night out, but Blake and Ren were making a date of their free time. While normally going to a bar wouldn't be considered a 'date,' the pub called 'Raise the Bar' was considered a mid-class venue, somewhat of a combination of a bar and restaurant.

"I take it this was your first encounter with the Grimm?" Ren asked Blake as the two sat down and ordered a couple of light local beers to start off.

"Is it that obvious?" Blake replied with a sigh.

"Well, only to everyone in the unit," he told her, prompting a groan. "You mask your reactions well, except to me."

"That's because only you really know me, Ren."

"And Ruby as well."

"What do you mean?"

"When the captain announced we would be doing rotations for off-base leave, she suggested Sergeant Xiao Long's lance be first in the rotation, so that you and I could have some time to ourselves to talk about the fight against the Grimm, as well as the Rangers' execution of all of them."

"How can they just do that?" she asked, her inscrutable Kurita mask in place, but easily read by her boyfriend.

"It has its origins back in 3018, just two days before Ruby turned thirteen. The Hunters were larger back then than we are now, though not by too much. At that time, the unit's executive officer was a woman of indeterminate origin known as Salem. Colonel Ozpin formed the Hunters with her, according to unit history. The event in question is known as the Betrayal. The unit was under contract to the Commonwealth then, just as we are now, though the command staff had received discrete offers from House Marik to essentially jump contract with the Lyrans. Superior pay was offered, as well as provisions for ammunition and repairs, but-"

"The colonel refused, as honor bound him to the contract with House Steiner," the raven-haired woman put in. Her eyes then were cast down in shame of her interrupting, but Ren reached out and gently raised her chin up so she was once again looking into his eyes.

"Just so," he agreed. "However, Salem disagreed with him and most of the staff's decision to hold to the Steiner contract. She was also far more….aggressive in combat in regards to enemy forces, willing to go as far as possible if it meant victory. During the Betrayal, the Hunters had been deployed in support of a Lyran offensive against the League. The LCAF troops were routed and falling back to the landing zone. The colonel had also been ordered to fall back and boost off-world, and the unit was in the process of doing so. Ruby's mother was the leader of Rose Lance back then, which consisted of herself, her lover Raven Branwen, Raven's brother Qrow, and Yang's father Taiyang. They were ordered to link up with Grimm Lance – Salem's command lance – and did so, but only for Salem to score a fatal strike against Summer's _Lancelot_."

"The very same one Ruby pilots?"

"Yes. Salem had already destroyed the original Maiden Lance before then, with only Captain Amber surviving through a stroke of Fate. The rest of Rose Lance drove off Salem, though Summer had managed to hold onto life long enough to deliver a telling blow to Salem's _Atlas_. When Salem fled the world, she took virtually half of the Hunters with her, which formed the core of her Grimm. The Hunters' intelligence apparatus has made it their personal mission to track down any and all information on the Grimm, in order to enact justice against them. The whole of Ranger Company, once Captain Amber had recovered, had taken vows to not allow a single Grimm to escape them."

"A Death Oath," Blake whispered.

"Essentially, yes. Every Ranger – with the exception of those who have yet to face the Grimm in battle – has taken that Oath. Ruby took it the day Captain Amber swore it herself, though she was only thirteen at the time." He sighed. "Ruby has a lot of hatred for the Grimm – especially Salem herself – and has pushed herself as hard as she could to become a MechWarrior. Though lately I've noticed that she's become less obsessed with that hatred, more focused on becoming a true leader. Even if it's only so that she can personally face off and end Salem, it's nevertheless a welcome change."

"You've taken the Oath, too?"

"I have," Ren confirmed. "I've….seen the aftermath of a Grimm strike. More than once. The first time was when Nora and I were orphaned, shortly before we joined the Hunters. I took the Oath once I'd heard of it, after Nora and I completed MechWarrior training and were assigned to Ranger Company. I am not one to encourage vengeance, as vengeance is an emotional response. The Oath is about punishment, justice. And not just for those of us the Grimm killed and have killed; it is also for the lives of the civilians and soldiers they've stolen. To stand by and do nothing, to allow any of those monsters to live-"

"-would be a betrayal not only of honor, but also of the essential core of being human," Blake finished. She looked at him as their waitress approached. "When we return to the base, I wish to take this same Oath. But I want to take it for Ruby. I wish for her to be my _Masuta_."

 ***TCD***

 _Sweet Water Café,_

 _Bangor Heights, Poulsbo  
Lyran Commonwealth_

Ever since she had started dating Velvet, Ruby had noticed an improvement to her personality and demeanor. Her own, not Velvet's. She was much less volatile, less prone to anger-fueled outbursts, and overall was slowly returning – for the most part – to her old self. Naturally, the death of her mother had changed her, as had learning the truth behind her death. But thanks to Velvet, the anger and grief that had consumed her since that day was gradually ebbing away. This year was the first time she'd been able to properly grieve for her mom, spending the day of 29 October 3025 ensconced aboard her quarters aboard the _Forever Fall_ , crying onto Velvet's shoulder as her girlfriend held her and gentle, love-filled embrace. Though she'd cried herself to exhaustion that day, and had passed out from it, the shedding of her grief right then had been cathartic. Her birthday two days later had been the best she'd ever had in the last seven years. She felt she owed the fighter pilot everything, but the Isle of Skye native had brushed that aside without a thought, insisting that anyone else would have done the same. Ruby didn't believe that, as she had never felt able to open up like that with anyone else. Right now, the two were on a date of their own, eating in a small café that Weiss had suggested to Ruby before the LCAF officer had left. And she was glad she had listened to the white-haired woman, as Velvet was having a good time.

"Hey, Velvs?" she said, breaking the comfortable silence they had fallen into minutes before.

"What is it, Ruby?" her girlfriend asked with a gentle smile and tone.

"I just….I wanted to say thank you," the crimsonette replied. "You've helped me change myself around. And you can say you only did what anyone else would have, but a lot of others have tried to do what you've done, and you were the only one that got through to me. The anger and grief I had been filled with may have helped me out in the beginning, provided me with a focus, but it was beginning to poison me, to really hurt me." She looked at the woman she was easily falling in love with, smiling, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "You were always there for me, even when I didn't realize it. You would always at least say 'hey' to me and ask me about my day. It doesn't change how I feel about Ozpin and his stance on things, nor does it take away my sense of justice-"

"Nor should it," Velvet interjected.

"-but I no longer feel like an overwhelmed heat sink that is just one weapon discharge away from exploding," she went, smiling even more at her girlfriend and lover, before it faded somewhat. "I told about having to retire _Crescent Rose_. I'm…I'm honestly not sure how I feel about that. I mean, it's been my 'Mech since my mom died and I learned she had bequeathed it to me. I've pretty much grown up in it, but-"

"-it's time to move on," the brunette finished understandingly. "As you said, it was your mom's BattleMech. Which means, while you have been piloting it rather capably, it isn't one that defines _you_. We can restore it to the look it had before, when it was named _Thorn_. I'll even help you."

"I'd….I'd love that. Thank you."

"Anything for you, Ruby."

"I guess I'll need to look for a replacement 'Mech while I'm piloting _Crescent_ \- er, _Thorn_ – in the meantime."

"Well, the first thing we can look at is your preferences. You know, at another time."

"Right, right," Ruby agreed, blushing.

"For now, let's just enjoy this date," Velvet said with a giggle."

 **E/N:** My longest chapter so far. I honestly can't explain how this happened. At first, I was just wanting to cover the aftermath of the Poulsbo raid in regards to Weiss. I know that scene may have seemed rather swift, especially in regards to how her father learned of the outcome of the raid and all of that, but I will be covering that in later chapters. The rest of this chapter….honestly it came out of nowhere and I couldn't stop it if I wanted to. I liked doing the bit with Raven especially, to be honest. Anyways, I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter and remember. Never miss a beat.


	9. 8 - Rosebird

" _It is the 31_ _st_ _century,_

 _And mankind is once again at war._

 _The battlefields of the future_

 _Are dominated by huge robotic war machines_

 _Known as BattleMechs._

 _Piloting these awesome weapons of war_

 _Are men and women, the elite of the elite,_

 _Knowing each battle could be their last._

 _They are…._

 _MechWarriors."_

~MechWarrior 3 Opening Text

 **8 – Rosebird**

 _Iron Maiden, Drop Strip  
Mercenary's Star (aka Galatea)  
Isle of Skye, Lyran Commonwealth  
14 March 3001_

Summer Rose had never been happier than she was now, although she knew that that could change since the future hadn't happened. Leaving her homeworld of Patch had been a rather easy decision for her; her soul yearned for and adventure, and she had always had difficulty in being still. He best friend, Taiyang Xiao Long, had tagged along to 'look after her' but she knew it was merely an excuse to cover his infatuation with her. _Too bad he_ still _doesn't realize he's trying to load SRMs into an LRM_ , she thought wryly. Her romantic interests had always leaned towards the fairer sex. When she and Tai had left Patch, they only had their clothes and enough C-bills for passage to Galatea to their name; their only 'skills' as MechWarriors came from piloting IndustrialMechs (AgroMechs and ForestryMechs for Summer, ConstructionMechs and MiningMechs for Tai) and piloting _Stingers_ in Patch's planetary militia. However, during a routine stop a jump away from Galatea, Summer had been exploring and stumbled upon two things: a Star League supply cache…and a newly formed mercenary company called the Hunters. As it turned out, the Hunters – led by a man named Ozpin and a rather mysterious woman who called herself Salem – were on their way to Mercenary's Star (as Galatea was known as, since its main source of business was as a place to hire mercenaries) to recruit more members into their new unit. Summer had agreed to sign on with them, provided she got to keep one of the 'Mechs found within the cache; while Salem had objected to that, Ozpin had easily agreed to it – especially after Summer, in a borrowed and battered _Phoenix Hawk_ , had fought Salem in her _Banshee_ to standstill. So Summer chose one of the four LNC25-01 _Lancelots_ – the original Star League era model that mounted an XL engine, double-strength heat sinks, and an advanced targeting/tracking system – contained within the cache; according to the databanks within the cache, it was only intended to hold a lance of 'Mechs as well as the parts and supplies to keep them running for a short while.

Taiyang, of course, signed on with the Hunters as well, in order to follow Summer around; it was obvious to everyone but him, of course. The money he and Summer had left was enough to make a down payment on a _Hunchback_ , though the money made from selling off the 'standard' parts from the remaining three _Lancelots_ helped make up the difference. Two Patchkin – as they jokingly referred to themselves as – spent as much time as they could training in their 'Mechs, using both simulators (though Summer's simulator training had to be programmed from the computer arrays from the SLDF cache) and direct piloting. Taiyang melded with the _Hunchback_ , able to work a 'Mech intended for combat in built-up terrain well in various other fields of battle. Summer and her _Lancelot_ , though…..it was obvious the two were meant to be. She didn't so much as pilot the surprisingly fast Heavy BattleMech so much as wield as an extension of herself. This was proven when an experienced LCAF MechWarrior challenged her to a duel between his _Lancelot_ – which was the Succession Wars LNC25-02 model – and her own; she only accepted because she was insulted he called her a liar for saying that hers was the original Star League model. Though both models had the same weapon ranges, it was obvious Summer's was the superior machine and that she had a far more synergistic connection to her 'Mech than her challenger; her speed was roughly 50% greater than his, and her heat dissipation was twice what his was, allowing her to fire more often. After that duel, in which the weapons were powered down but the effects of firing them were still the same, the Hunters – and their two newest recruits – boosted off-world and docked with their JumpShip, the _Beacon_ , before heading to Mercenary's Star.

And now here they were, in the hub of the mercenary trade, looking for new members. Both Ozpin and Salem seemed to have different requirements in the people they were looking for, though not for the most part. Summer, however, didn't know what those were nor did she care. All her life, she'd followed her instincts when it came to people and right now it had led her to a bar called the _Iron Maiden_. And it was definitely worse than any dive that Patch had ever had. Of course, she had no qualms about being in such a place – she'd broken and dislocated the arm of the first man that groped her, and was pretty sure she'd shattered the pelvis of his buddy when she'd planted her titanium-toed boot in his crotch – but was curious about why she'd felt pulled here. She got to the bar and had just ordered a pint of whiskey that claimed to have been bottled on Skye thirty years ago when she heard a disturbance. Turning, she found herself struck dumb at the sight of a wild mane of black hair and glimmering red eyes belonging to the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. She wasn't one to believe in love at first sight, but Blake's Blood if she wasn't infatuated. Some asshole was harassing her – and had been for a while, judging from her expression – while her companion just watched in amusement. She guessed him to be the beauty's brother, as they shared too many similarities to be otherwise. The way the woman was fingering the sword at her side indicated that the man before her didn't have too much longer to live at this rate so Summer grabbed her stein, walked over to the man – unnoticed by any of the three she had been observing – and rammed her fist into the man's kidney before bashing his head with her whiskey – without spilling a drop.

Raven could not believe the nerve the man talking to her. She had made her disinterest in him clear, even for a drunk, yet he continued to flirt with her. She and her brother, Qrow, had crossed quite a bit of the Inner Sphere to come from their home in the Outworld Alliance (one of the Periphery States) to reach Galatea. In the process, they had also passed through the Capellan Confederation where they had "liberated" an FRB-2E _Firebee_ and a BJ-1 _Blackjack_ from a planetary militia. Though around 500 years old, this particular _Firebee_ had been rebuilt with current level tech, which didn't really change much of its performance except to make it sturdier and a bit more robust than its original specs. She wasn't fond of its SRM-heavy load out, and was looking for an employer so she could get the C-bills needed to have it modified. Right now, dealing with this drunk asshole who thought he could get lucky with her and a twin who was being entertained by the whole situation, she was rapidly reaching her limit on stupidity. Just as she was about to unsheathe her sword and paint the bar red with his bed, she saw the man's face turned into a highly pained expression and watched as he dropped, only for a stein full of whiskey to come crashing down onto his head. After she'd followed his now unconscious drop to the floor, she looked up to see a pixie of a woman calmly swigging that same pint of whiskey. The woman looked to be too young to be in even a nice bar, much less a dive like the _Iron Maiden_ , though that could be partially due to the fact that the other woman stood just below her chin. What struck Raven the most about her (sort of) savior was not the woman's red-tinted black hair – which looked utterly natural to her eyes rather than being a dye effect – but rather her silver eyes, which right now were gleaming like pools of liquid mercury in the lights of the bar.

"What an ass, eh?" the woman said after downing the whole pint. Her accent was definitely Skye Irish, though just different enough to suggest she was a native of the Isle of Skye rather than the world itself.

"I didn't need the help," Raven answered flatly, prompting a giggle from the newcomer.

"I'm sure you didn't, but I'd rather avoid bloodshed if it's possible. I'm Summer, by the way. Summer Rose. Of the Hunters."

"A merc?"

"Sure am."

"Aren't you a little….young….to be a mercenary?"

"Aren't you a little….hot….to be a human?"

Raven couldn't help it; she blushed at the compliment, an effect which deepened when her brother burst out laughing. She snapped, "Shut up, Qrow!" which only made him laugh harder. Raven grudgingly invited Summer to sit at their table, to which her brother responded by ordering another round for everyone.

"So what brings you here, Shorty?" he asked their new companion.

"My CO is looking for MechWarriors to recruit," she replied, nursing her new stein of whiskey. She didn't miss the look the two siblings exchanged.

"And you just happened to pop into the exact bar we are in?" Raven asked, her tone sharp with suspicion.

"Sure did," she admitted with carefree grin at them. "I've always been considered a bit of weirdo back home, what with me doing seemingly random shite that somehow always works out. I call it a 'pull,' since my instincts always seem to lead me to where I need to be, when I need to be there. It's not always to my betterment, of course, but it works out more often than not regardless."

"Sounds like mystic bullshit to me," was the bunt reply from the other woman.

"Pragmatic, I see; must be from a Periphery State," the crimsonette replied, shocking the twins. "I couldn't guess where, but I doubt it's from the Liao side of the Sphere. Judging from your appearance and demeanor, plus the fact that you're toting a katana on your pretty hip, I'd say from one of the Periphery States bordering the FedSuns or the Combine." She looked at them with a serene yet goofy smile on her face. "Am I right?" Raven just sneers and looks away, crossing her arms.

"Eh, don't mind her," Qrow said. "You're actually very right; we're from the Outworlds Alliance."

"Shut up, you drunk bastard!" Raven hissed at him, turning to glare at her brother.

"It's not like she won't find out," he replied with a shrug. "We _are_ going to sign up with her unit, right? Not like anyone else has come with a job offer."

 _Sahara Plains, Imbros III  
Draconis Combine  
1 June 3003_

Raven spun her _Firebee_ around, barely managing to avoid the burst of autocannon fire from a Combine _Dragon_ , and raised her 'Mech's right arm as she came back around. Pulling the trigger, she sent a burst of crimson energy lancing out. Whether by luck or skill, the laser beam went right down one of the LRM tubes on the front of the 60-ton 'Mech, striking the missile inside and detonating it. That explosion caused the other nine missiles around it to began exploding, sending a gout of fire out of the 'Mech's "snout" as well backwards into its ammo-reloading system. The _Dragon_ shook and shuddered for a for seconds before its entire torso went up in a massive explosion, one which sent the autocannon that was the machine's right arm slamming into a nearby Kurita _Stinger_ , the massive weapon crushing the 20-tonner's cockpit.

" _Look at that. A two-for-one sale,"_ Qrow quipped over the commline, his 45-ton _Blackjack_ 's arm-mounted AC/2s spouting lead that dug divots into the torso armor of a _Wasp_ , wounds that were exploited by his Medium Lasers. A thermal bloom indicated that the scout BattleMech's reactor shielding had been breached, but the dampening system quickly engaged, shutting down the fusion engine and locking the 'Mech's joints; unfortunately for the MechWarrior inside, the 20-ton 'Mech had been moving at cruising speed at an angle, so the lock ended up causing the Light 'Mech to fall and slam its head into an exposed rocky outcropping.

" _That one should've kept his head in the game."_ Tai put in, drawing a groan from Raven.

" _Cut the chatter. We've got to push the Snakes back long enough to secure the facility. Rose Lance, kill the_ Crusader _and the_ Awesome _and we'll have the time we need,"_ ordered Summer Rose, her tone brittle and cold. Raven couldn't help but wince at the other woman's voice. _Apparently, she still hasn't forgiven either of us for what happened_ , the red-eyed woman thought sadly. Not that Summer Rose had a reason to forgive her and Taiyang – especially her. After all, even though the two of them had been drunk when it happened, Raven hadn't been drunk enough to not know what she was doing. She had cheated on the woman she had started dating a few months after meeting. Not that that was when she cheated; that was just when they'd started going out. Just over a year of dating, and she slipped and had an affair with her girlfriend's best friend. It should have been a one-time occurrence, with a guilt-filled aftermath that would've had Raven confessing everything to Summer and begging for forgiveness before dealing with a cold shoulder and a breakup for a while before everything smoothed out. Instead, Summer had walked in on her and Tai in bed together, obviously naked, with their clothes scattered all over the room and the smell sex saturating the air. Raven barely had time to say her girlfriend's name before the crimsonette had whirled around and fled the room.

When Raven had found her later, she'd been met with a slap that would've moved a DropShip and Summer saying they were through. The next two months had really been tense amongst not only Rose Lance but the rest of the company, as Summer refused to have anything to do with Raven or Tai outside of missions, and Raven herself was avoiding Tai. What couldn't be avoided was the result of a visit to the medbay due to vomiting each morning for days in a row; that's when Raven found out she was pregnant. That had really driven home her actions, and seemingly cemented the chasm between her and Summer. Tai was there for her, as even her brother was disappointed in her, and as much as she despised what had happened Raven was grateful for the blond's presence. They had attempted to make a go of things, romantically, but it fizzled and died after only a few months. Summer had removed Raven from anything but light combat duty after the news, and had actually taken her off the active-duty roster a month later so as not to risk the baby – because the intense often found in a 'Mech's cockpit during battle could've been fatal. And three months ago, Raven had given birth to a baby girl she named Yang. Until the moment of holding her daughter in her arms, the Periphery-born MechWarrior had been decided on placing the girl up for adoption, or just leaving her there with the Hunters while she split.

But staring into those lilac eyes had flipped her world one-hundred-eighty degrees. Summer had shown up, shocking the new mother, but had done nothing more than say congratulations before leaving. Qrow had forgiven her months ago, and was the next to visit. They had talked, about both the baby and Summer….as well as Tai. Raven had admitted that while she liked the blond, she just didn't feel for him what he apparently felt for her. And when he visited, she made that clear to him. She threatened to castrate him when he tried to change her mind, and he brought up that Yang was his child, too. She had calmly, and scarily, told him that she didn't put his name on the birth certificate, and that – as far as genetics go – she only had him put down as the donor. Qrow had tried to defuse things by stating he and Tai could be the little dragon's uncles, and that seemed to break the tension.

Now, three months later, Raven was back on active duty and wanting to reconcile with Summer.

" _Raven, look out!"_ The crimson-eyed woman snapped her gaze out of her _Firebee_ 's cockpit screen in time to see the rain of LRMs before they slammed into her 35-ton Light 'Mech. Armor shattered and spalled off of the humanoid 'Mech, causing it stagger backwards and tip over. Her gyro sounded like an aerospace fighter spooling up for launch as it attempted to fight the battle against gravity before giving up as the 'Mech fell backwards and slammed into the ground.

Summer watched in gut-wrenching fear as the Kurita _Crusader_ unleashed its full complement of long-range missiles on Raven's _Firebee_. She didn't know what had caused the other woman to slow down like that, nor to make herself a perfect target, but it didn't matter as a wave of anger rose up within her. And as it threatened to overwhelm her, it just burst apart and left her with a sense of clarity she hadn't known for over a year. Even as she directed Tai and Qrow to engage and distract the last Kurita 'Mech in the area, she moved her crosshairs over the _Crusader_ with more calmness than a priest at the same time she kicked her 60-ton 'Mech up to full speed. Its narrow and unconventional profile made it a bit harder to target than most other designs, and for some reason her piloting skills seemed much higher than normal. She fired off her arm-mounted Large Lasers, the crimson beams lancing into the slightly heavier 'Mech's shoulder joint with preternatural accuracy. The twin beams caused armor to melt and pop, and the Kurita 'Mech's arm dropped off, causing it to stagger to one side. And as she engaged the Combine MechWarrior on automatic, her thoughts swirled around Raven. She realized that she truly did love the other woman, that she was actually _in_ love with her, and that the past fifteen months had been wasted because of her own pride and pain. Yes, Raven had made a mistake, but Summer had made a bigger one by abandoning the woman she loved instead of being there for her.

And she vowed to never make that mistake again.

 _Rose Residence, Patch  
Isle of Skye,  
Lyran Commonwealth  
1 October 3005_

"I still can't believe that we've been assigned to 'garrison' my own homeworld," Summer said as she eased herself into the recliner in her home's den. Though she had left her home planet as soon as she was able to, she never stopped loving the world and so was glad to have returned to it.

"Well, it's LCAF unit was rotated out to a posting on the border with House Marik," Raven pointed out as she helped her heavily pregnant girlfriend and lover sit down (using artificial insemination techniques, Summer had gotten pregnant via Qrow – since she wouldn't ever bed the irritating man but still wanted a child that resembled her girlfriend), "so we were ordered to take their post here until another Lyran command can be rotated back here." She smiled. "At least we won't be facing any action, so you can enjoy the rest of your pregnancy."

"Ha ha, very funny, Branwen," Summer growled playfully. "You know I've only got a month left."

"Two months, actually, but who's counting? I'm just glad we got over things when we did."

Before her crimsonette girlfriend could agree to that, Tai walked into the den carrying a sleeping two-year-old. It had taken a bit longer, but eventually he and Summer had reconciled and now the gregarious blond was back to being her unrelated-by-blood brother; which was good, as Yang enjoyed the silly faces her "Uncle Tai" would make at her.

"You left something outside, Raven," he said nonchalantly, grinning as the raven-haired woman scowled at him. "So where does she go?"

"I had Tuckson set up a room for her," Summer said; the man, who usually ran a bookstore in town, had been taking care of the Rose place after Summer's parents passed away. After all, life as a mercenary meant Summer had to go where her unit went, but she hadn't wanted to give up the home she'd grown up in. "It's up the stairs, second door on the left."

"Wasn't that your old room?" Raven asked as the blond carried the sleeping child up to put her in a real bed.

"Yeah," the crimsonette said wistfully, wincing a bit as her unborn daughter decided to move around again.

"She's pretty active now, isn't she?" her girlfriend asked, nodding towards Summer's swollen abdomen.

"More so than you'd expect. Honestly, I don't think that doctor was in his right mind."

"Hey, he was pretty on target with Yang."

"Do you….do you think she'll like our little Rose?"

"Are you kidding? They'll be best friends!" Nudges her girlfriend's shoulder. "Relax, Sum. We're basically on what amounts to paid leave with this posting. Once our little Rose is here and you've recovered, you'll be back in the cockpit in no time."

"But…what about-"

"Hey, we'll make it work. We're doing it with Yang."

"She's right," Tai said as he re-entered the den. "Everyone on the _Forever Fall_ just loves Yang like family. They'll look after her. Hell, Glynda's her godmother and doesn't mind watching over her on the _Oum_. I'm sure adding your second kid to the mix won't change that."

 _DropShip_ Forever Fall _,  
En route to Lyons, Isle  
of Skye,  
Lyran Commonwealth  
20 August 3011_

"An' what's this one do, Mommy?" a five-year-old Ruby asked Summer, pointing at something in the cockpit of _Thorn_ , Summer's LNC25-02 _Lancelot_. The 28-year-old woman smiled at her daughter.

"That, my little Rose, is called a throttle," she explained. "It's what makes _Thorn_ move forward and backwards when she's on."

"Wow," her daughter said with such awe that it made Summer laugh. "An' that one?"

"This," Summer said, placing her hand on the joystick, "is what lets me aim and fire the weapons." She turned Ruby a bit so she could see her daughter's face better. " _Thorn_ is from a long time ago, back when something called the Star League existed. But an evil man wanted to rule it, so he did some very bad things. But a hero came and defeated the bad man. But the other leaders, the ones who had supported those before the bad man, could not agree on who should lead because they each believed only _they_ could properly run the Star League."

"Then what happen, Mommy?" Ruby asked, enthralled with the story.

"Well, Ruby, the hero knew that the massive army he led – which had a lot of BattleMechs, tanks, and spaceships – would be their target, that each leader would try to convince him to join their side, to support their bid to rule. So He took all of his army, those that were willing, and left the Inner Sphere. And that is why everyone is at war. They each want to restore the Star League, but I don't know if even they believe that now."

"Can they talk? Be nice?"

"Oh, it would be wonderful if they did, my little Rose, but not everyone is as kind-hearted as you."

"How come you fight, Mommy?"

"To keep the people I love safe," Summer told her. "You see, I had always dreamed of seeing the universe. Going to different worlds. I consider myself lucky that I met your mother on one of them very soon after."

"An' had my sister?" Summer laughed and ruffled Ruby's hair.

"It wasn't quite that simple, but yes. I had people I needed to protect. Your mother. Your uncles. Your sister, and you. And even the friends and family we made with our fellow Hunters."

"Mister Ozzy is weird, though." It took Summer several minutes to stop laughing after _that_ comment.

"Yes, sweetie, he is a bit weird."

"I heard Yang say we Martian Aeries. What's that?"

"It's 'mercenaries,' Ruby, and it's what we are. It means we are soldiers for hire, warriors who are paid to fight in battles they have no interest in."

"Why?"

"Because sometimes, regular soldiers can't do what we can, go where we can. But sometimes it isn't just for money that mercenaries fight. Yes, we only fight when we're paid to, but we also believe in causes, ideals." Ruby looked confused at that, prompting her mom to smile. "It's okay if you don't understand right now, Ruby. You will one day. And one day you will find your own cause….and you will become-"

 ***TCD***

 _Bangor Base, Bangor Heights  
Poulsbo, Alarion Province  
Lyran Commonwealth  
24 December 3025_

"-a legend," Ruby finished, leaning back against her girlfriend, relaxing in her arms. She had just finished telling Velvet about the first time she'd ever sat in the cockpit of a 'Mech.

"Your mom sounds amazing," the brunette said, leaning forward to plant a kiss on the top of her girlfriend's head."

"She was," the crimsonette agreed quietly, a single tear falling from one of her eyes. "I only got to go with her and my mother if there wasn't going to be any – or just a light amount – of aerospace resistance. Otherwise I stayed with Glynda aboard the _Oum_."

"She's your godmother, right?"

"Yeah. Our – Yang and I – moms named her godmother, so if anything happened to them she would be the one to take care of us. Neither really trusted our uncles to be able to hand children, though after Mom died Uncle Tai left and went back to Patch while Uncle Qrow left like Mother did."

"Do you know where they're at?"

"Well, Uncle Qrow went back to his home in the Outworlds Alliance," Ruby explained. "We don't hear much from him, since the Periphery States don't really trust the rest of the Inner Sphere."

"And….your mother?"

"No one knows where she is. But….I don't hate her for leaving. I used to, but after a while I realized that hating her didn't do anything but hurt me. I had my own anger to deal with, back then. I know she wants revenge for what happened to Mom, too, and that she couldn't take us with her because she'd be worrying about us at the same time she'd be trying to investigate and stuff, and something would end up failing because of that."

"Do you want to see her again one day?"

"Absolutely. I mean, Yang and I will both probably punch her in the jaw or something, but then we'd hug her and tell her that we still love her."

"I think she'd be proud of the woman you've become, that you are continuing to become," Velvet replied."

"I just get the feeling that, one day, things are going to happen that will require hard decisions and leaps of faith."

"I'll be right here with you, to help you make them or to support the one you choose. Just…just remember, Ruby Rose; you are not alone. Not anymore."

 **E/N:** This chapter needed to be done. I was going to do it all about Rosebird, but then that last section before the timeskip to the present came about and I thought _Why not use that to bridge to the rest of the story?_ Obviously, Ruby won't have known a lot of the details mentioned above, so that's why her 'story' was only about the first time she and Summer sat in the cockpit of _Thorn_. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and the kick off of the second arc. Never miss a beat.


	10. 9 - Changes

" _It is the 31_ _st_ _century,_

 _And mankind is once again at war._

 _The battlefields of the future_

 _Are dominated by huge robotic war machines_

 _Known as BattleMechs._

 _Piloting these awesome weapons of war_

 _Are men and women, the elite of the elite,_

 _Knowing each battle could be their last._

 _They are…._

 _MechWarriors."_

~MechWarrior 3 Opening Text

 **9 – Changes**

 _Bangor Military Base,  
Poulsbo, Alarion Province  
Lyran Commonwealth  
24 December 3025_

"-and that's why I'm here, _Kaptain_ Goodwitch," Weiss said, finishing up her explanation for meeting with the captain of the _Monty Oum_ , the _Invader_ -class JumpShip belonging to the Hunters, as well as the mercenary command's executive officer.

"I despise politics," Glynda said with a sigh, shaking her head. The young woman before her was determined, that much was obvious, but what was also obvious – to Glynda – was also the sense of loss the woman exuded. "And I would actually be addressed as 'Colonel Goodwitch' when not commanding my ship. We're not the LCAF, even though our contracts since our formation have been with primarily the Commonwealth." Both of the women were following the standard practice of addressing a lieutenant colonel simply as 'colonel' as had been the standard military practice since Terra's earthbound wars of the twenty-first century.

"I apologize," the white-haired woman said.

"No need," Glynda assured her. "You probably haven't had any experiences with mercenaries prior to us, at least as far as your record indicates. And as far as your father learning what happened fast enough to send a reply that reached you when it did… .I'd have to say your _Kommandant_ more than likely had it prepared in advance and sent it off – more than likely – shortly after the Mariks arrived in orbit." Glynda set her datapad down on the desk in the office she'd been permitted to use in Bangor Base's 'mercenary wing' while the Hunters were on Poulsbo. She'd left her ship under the command of its First Officer, and had taken one of the _Oum_ 's shuttles to Poulsbo, arriving just the day before. She pulled off her reading glasses to rub her eyes for a second before putting them back on. "Miss Schnee," she continued wearily, "I have checked our personnel roster, and we currently don't have any openings for a MechWarrior, nor do we have any BattleMechs currently available."

"I…I understand," Weiss replied, looking down. _I'm….I'm Dispossessed_ , she realized, the thought shattering her. Dispossessed was a term describing a MechWarrior who had lost their 'Mech – either to battle or a technical breakdown – or who had had their 'Mech stripped from them. In Weiss's case, her _Zeus_ had been barely functional after the battle but could have been repaired to full operational capacity in about two months or so….if she had not been dishonorably discharged from the LCAF. Because of that, she had no BattleMech at all, and her skills as a trooper were barely enough to pass the courses required at the Nagelring.; Sshe could only take an armor assignment, and hope to acquire a new 'Mech through battlefield salvage. Glynda could see the young woman's spirit literally breaking at that news, and was reminded of her goddaughter.

"However, I do have some…good news, I suppose," she said, drawing Weiss's attention immediately. "While an opening may occur in the future, through whatever means, that would not address the situation of the present. And we currently don't have any active combat postings. As I said though, there is good news, and that is that I can hire you on as a tactical officer and assign you to the _Forever Fall_ , which is-"

"-the _Union_ -class DropShip that Ranger Company is assigned to," Weiss finished. "I, um, studied your unit roster upon learning of your command's identity."

"That is reassuring. I could, via my authority as the second-in-command of the Hunters, place you on our roster of back-up MechWarriors, in case one of our active duty personnel is unable to pilot their machine in battle. Now, as I understand, your last ride was one of the new _Zeus_ models, correct?"

"Yes, but…." her voice trailed off.

"You can speak freely here, Miss Schnee."

"It never….felt right. Yes, I was capable of piloting it, and doing so rather well, if my academy records and my…fight…here on Poulsbo indicates. But I never really liked it as it just didn't fit my personal sense of combat. I don't like having to be able to take a lot of damage in order to deal it out, as is the case with Assault-class BattleMechs. I was on the Nagelring's fencing team during my time there, and-"

"I see your difficulty, then," Glynda interrupted. "While that is not often the case, it appears as though you prefer elegance and precision when fighting in a BattleMech. Such a thing would be impossible in a _Zeus_."

"That…that's it. That's it exactly."

"Well, perhaps you would do well in a Medium or a Light. We do have combat simulators, both here in the 'mercenary wing' as well as onboard the _Forever Fall_. Once I approve your enlistment within the Hunters, I'll register you for access to the 'Mech simulators and you can begin training on them. However, that will have to take second place to your training as Ranger Company's tactical operations officer."

"Will that be my position aboard the _Forever Fall_ itself, Colonel?" Weiss asked.

"That would be up to Captain Vernal, but more than likely yes."

"Thank you for this, Colonel," she said, her tone full of sincerity and gratitude, the smile on her face a bit off on the left side due to the still-healing wound there; it was clear that she'd removed the bandages far sooner than they should have been, as the injury was still in the process of healing and would definitely scar. "Not many would take on a Dispossessed and dishonored MechWarrior."

"An undeserved dishonor, as the fault was not yours," Glynda told her. "You were facing off against a mercenary force that, while outnumbered at a minimum of two to one, had far greater combat experience overall as well as a fanatical desire to engage in combat regardless of the damage sustained."

"I…had a talk with Ruby about the Grimm, prior to my returning to the headquarters building and getting discharged."

"Yes. The Grimm are, perhaps, the greatest shame the Hunters have. Completely without design, everyone assigned to my JumpShip – my own personnel as well as those of the DropShips assigned to it – have taken an Oath to completely eliminate the Grimm. And yes, that means killing them." Glynda let out an exasperated sigh. "Colonel Ozpin, however, disagrees with that oath."

"I…can see his point of view, _Kaptain_ \- er, Colonel," Weiss said. "However, I don't agree with such a…focused…wait and see attitude. Personally, I don't condone reactive actions unless it's part of an overall strategy. However-"

"-there is a vast yet fine distinction between proactive action and recklessness," the blonde finish. "I agree. While it pays to know your enemy – Sun Tzu's _The Art of War_ states that clearly – passively seeking that information is far too long and ineffective an undertaking." She smiled at the younger woman before her. "So, with that said, I am glad to welcome you to the Hunters, and to Ranger Company specifically. You'll have to take a reduction in rank, however, as we don't have captains who have time-in-rank for a promotion."

"That's fine."

"Then, welcome to the team, Lieutenant Schnee."

 ***TCD***

 _Castle Grimm, Shadow Plains  
Epsilon, Steward Commonwealth  
Free Worlds League  
24 December 3025_

Salem read over the message a local ComStar acolyte had given to her. Considering the contents of the message, she would've slain him outright – had it been anyone _but_ ComStar that had given her the missive. She had no respect for the techno theocracy that was the interstellar communications organization of the Inner Sphere; she did, however, have respect for the one major secret it was still keeping from the Great Houses: the ComGuards. An army on par with those of the Great Houses, but only as far as size went. Her spies had confirmed that not only were the ComGuards several divisions in size, they also possessed something not seen in the Inner Sphere since the First Succession War: combat-capable JumpShips, otherwise known as WarShips.

Such power was something she desired to possess, not go against.

The message she'd received had been from her spy within the Hunters, detailing the failure of the Marik raid on Pouslbo….as well as the Grimm's failure to slay Weiss Schnee. However, Salem suspected one of her contingency plans may have come into play with that failure; undoubtedly the commander of the Lyran garrison would successfully attempt to shift blame for the casualties incurred in the raid upon the Schnee girl. This would result in a dishonorable discharge from the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces – without being sent up the chain of command first – as well as being disowned from her status as heiress to the SDC.

Salem's whole reason for removing Weiss Schnee from play was to have Whitely Schnee assume her place. Not a military man, the eighteen-year-old male Schnee was a purely political creature, one with more cunning than his father…and one who had personal ties to her. He believed that theirs was a mutually beneficial arrangement in that he would divert SDC shipments to the Grimm – never in amounts large enough to be immediately or alarmingly noticed – or relay information on SDC shipments for the Grimm to 'raid'. He had also promised to feed her information on competitors and in exchange he would have the long-term gain of a private army and short-term gain of driving up the SDC's stock.

What he didn't know is that she had no intention of fulfilling his goals. By letting him believe as he did, she gained access to parts that were compatible or specifically made for the BattleMechs produced by other companies that the SDC manufactured under license. As well as information she needed to enact her other, more long-term plans. Her years with the Hunters, as well as after she broke from those foolish idealists, had shown her that humanity's natural state was war, that its natural desire was death. So she would give them that, but without them realizing they were merely her puppets.

She set the message down on her desk, stood, and walked over to her office's window and looked out of them. Outside, below her level but some distance away, Tyrian's lance was making sport of a Marik company that had wandered into their area and discovered Castle Grimm. Salem had allowed him to do so, but only after she'd had them interrogated. As she watched the remaining Mariks try to rally and escape, she began speaking aloud to no one, though if anyone had been there it would be clear that she was addressing someone who wasn't there.

"Legends. Stories scattered throughout time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past." A mirthless smile finds its way onto her face as one of the Marik 'Mechs explodes from a reactor breach. "But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone… darkness will return. So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called "free universe", but take heed… there will be no victory in strength. The galaxy is poised to destroy itself, my old friend. The human race has done nothing but kill since its earliest days, regardless of whether one follows the school of creation or evolution. Even the 'gods' found in so many religions past and present warred amongst themselves. You seek to lessen the horrors of war, yet you refuse to act decisively unless the outcome is decidedly in your favor." She watched as the last of the Marik 'Mechs fell. Like her Schnee puppet, House Marik believed she was on its side, or at least working for it. Epsilon was _her_ world, even the FWL claimed it as their own still. The worlds within one jump in each direction of Epsilon that lway within League territory were hers, as well – even though on many of them she was still spreading her influence.

"I shall plunge the galaxy into the maelstrom of truly eternal warfare," she went on after contemplating the silence for a moment. And when the Inner Sphere is poised to tear itself apart at the slightest provocation, I shall emerge from the shadows with my armies and destroy all who oppose me before I turn my darkness towards Terra….and extinguish its light forevermore."

 ***TCD***

 _Bangor Base, Bangor Heights  
Poulsbo, Alarion Province  
Lyran Commonwealth  
29 December 3025_

The Hunters unit commanders – battalion and company only, as the Hunters only numbered a full 'Mech battalion, two full battalions of infantry with two additional platoons in reserve. The (two companies and the two reserve'extra' platoons were on the two _Fury_ -class DropShips attached to the _Beacon_.) Thewith vehicular transports, and a reinforced battalion of vehicles (30 of the vehicles split between the _Beacon_ 's two _Gazelle_ -class), officially making Ozpin the regimental commander – were gathered in one of Bangor Base's briefing rooms, awaiting Ozpin and Glynda to make their appearance. There were a total of twenty-four people in the room currently, as the four battalion commanders and eight company-rank commanders had brought an aide as well. In the case of Ranger Company, Captain Amber had brought along Ruby Rose, despite her beingwho was the youngest lance leader in the Hunters. (her half-sister, Yang, commanded Dragon Lance). Yang would have been the obvious choice instead as not only Amber's aide but the company's XO, with her having been a lance leader longer than her sister, but Ruby's vast improvement over how she'd been in the past had made her the ideal choice as – once she let her anger and fury go – she exhibited the qualities and skills that would make her an excellent leader in the future.

"What do you think's going on, Ruby?" Amber asked her protégé.

"What do you mean?" the crimsonette asked.

"Pretty much every officer in the Hunters is gathered in this briefing room, excluding the aerospace personnel," the woman reminded her. "I'm not sure why, since we only have the one squadron split between our three _Unions_. So. What do you think is going on?" She was testing her new officer.

"Well….what with _everyone_ gathered here….um, it could be a mission briefing," Ruby offered hesitantly. "I mean, it's the only thing that makes sense, though I don't know why _all_ of us are here, if we're also to be Poulsbo's garrison. It's…it hasn't been long enough for even the nearest Lyran unit to get here, right?"

"Right on all counts. It _is_ a mission briefing, and while you're correct in that there hasn't been enough time for LCAF reinforcements to arrive, we all need to be informed on what the upcoming mission is. The reason is that probably only one 'Mech company will be deployed for the raid, with the rest of the command remaining here."

"Oooh," Ruby said, understanding it now. Just then, Ozpin walked in and all of the conversations stopped as he and Glynda strode to the front of the briefing room.

"I'm glad all of you are here," he began.

"I had to cancel a pressing engagement with my bunk for this, but you're welcome!" someone shouted out, causing the others to life. Ozpin just gave a small smile.

"Indeed. To business, then. We have been asked by our mercenary liaison to conduct a raid into the Free Worlds League on behalf of the Commonwealth, in response to their raid on Poulsbo. As it would be remiss to leave this world severely under protected for this mission, we'll deploy only the _Monty Oum_ and its attached assets. That will be all." With that, he left the room – but paused at the doorway. "I would like to see Lieutenant Rose and Captain Amber in my temporary office soon."

 ***TCD***

"You wanted to see us, sir?" Amber asked as she and Ruby walked into the room a few minutes after the briefing ended.

"Yes. It has come to my attention that Lieutenant Rose is retiring her _Lancelot_ ," Ozpin said, leaning forward as his elbows rested on his desk, steepling his fingers.

"I am," Ruby admitted. "We've about reached the limit on being able to keep it combat functional, as we no longer have a stock of parts for its extra-light engine or double heat sinks."

"Your decision makes sense, though have you considered converting it to the Zero Two model?"

"Not a chance, sir," the crimsonsette replied, her tone adamant. "I won't butcher my mother's machine."

"Very well," he began.

"And I refuse to pilot a Grimm 'Mech."

"They aren't any different than our own," he told her, but she remained resolute. He sighed. "Very well. We'll go about selling it-"

"Are you fucking _nuts_?!" Ruby yelled. She blushed as both Ozpin and Amber stared at her because of her blatant disrespect, but she pushed on. " _Thorn_ belonged to my mother, and she passed its ownership to me! I won't allow you to sell it! Never!"

"Ruby, we simply don't have the space to carry around an unused 'Mech," he told her firmly. "It is our best option to sell it, as it would free up space for your replacement machine as well as giving us the funds to get said machine."

"And," she replied with a low growl, "I said 'hell no.' Sir."

"Lieutenant Rose, you are being unreasonable."

"And you, _Colonel_ , are being a fucking sonuvabitch."

"If I may interject," Amber interrupted, drawing both of their attention to her. "As the _Lancelot_ does legally belong to Ruby, and not the Hunters, you actually don't have the authority or right to sell it. And while you do have the right to charge her a fee for transporting it, there is a solution here that will prevent anyone from making an idiotic decision."

"And what would that be, Captain?" he asked.

"Assign it to Lieutenant Schnee," she answered. "Yes, she's a supernumerary right now, and we don't actually have a 'Mech Bay for it to be racked in, but it could be transported in a DropShip's cargo hold until a berth opens up, or we acquire another 'Mech hauler."

Ozpin thought about that for a moment, considering it. "Very well," he finally said. "I will authorize this action, though _you_ will have to find the storage space."

"Not an issue…Colonel."

It was obvious to Ozpin that he had inadvertently created a rift between himself and two of his officers. He was still unaware that said rift had already existed and that it had all of the personnel attached to the _Monty Oum_ on Ruby and Amber's side of it, though he was a bit puzzled by Ruby's disrespectful objection to his decision. He could understand the sentimental value of the machine, and would allow her this in order to hopefully, if futilely, get back on her good side. The two left after being dismissed by the man, Ruby fuming at his blatant idiocy.

"Now before you go off an spiel about what he tried to do, remember that you're better than he is," Amber told her, actually deflating her anger.

"You think so?"

"I know so. He may have far more experience than you, but unlike him _you_ have charisma. It took awhile for it to come out because of your anger before, but it's here now. It takes more than experience and rank to make a leader; it takes heart and compassion in my opinion. Sure, you have to order those under your command into dangerous and lethal situations, maybe even to their deaths, but whereas Ozpin will accept whatever outcome occurs as long as it's in his favor, _you_ will do everything you can to get everyone back safely."

"Th-Thanks, Amber," Ruby said, blushing at the praise.

"It's only the truth, kid. Now, your arguments about retiring _Thorn_ are valid, but right now there's a Lyran merchant currently on-world who is willing to take it as cargo and deliver it to Patch, since he's headed there already. He'll waive the fee of taking it onboard as it's going to a destination on his itinerary, but everyone's chipped in to pay him for transporting it." Ruby couldn't speak, too overwhelmed by the news, and hugged her company leader, who returned the hug. "Now, we can still assign it to Weiss, but she won't be able to pilot it as – like you said – we don't have the parts to repair it anymore without jury-rigging everything."

"Okay."

"Have you given any thought to what you'll pilot instead?"

"Well, um, when I talked to Weiss the other day, she suggested I look into something that built more towards speed while still going with the ammunition-independency that _Thorn_ had."

"Hmm. Sounds to me like you'll need a Light 'Mech, as I'm not sure there are any Mediums that really fit that bill."

"I might have something," someone said from behind them. Turning around, the two women saw an obviously aged man coming towards them. His walk and demeanor suggested 'MechWarrior,' and his uniform indicated he was in the Poulsbo Planetary Militia.

"I'm _Kaptain_ Klein, commanding officer of the militia," he told them. The two saluted him, though he waved it away. "I'm not too stuck up on formality when away from those LCAF _Arschlocher_."

Ruby snickered at that, bringing a smile to his face.

"I owe you all for taking in Weiss, after all. What happened to her was wrong, and motivated solely by unwarranted dislike and pure politics."

"You said you could help Ruby out, _Kaptain_?" Amber asked.

"Call me Klein, please," he insisted. "And yes, I can. You are in need of a new BattleMech but one that is free of any sort of ammunition-based weapons, correct?"

"Yes."

"And you used to operate a Heavy 'Mech? That will be quite a readjustment."

"Well, we can't fix it up any longer, and it's….it's a family heirloom, of sorts. It…it never felt like mine, though."

"A sentiment I can understand. Right now, thanks to your generosity, we are in unenviable position of having far more 'Mechs than pilots. One of which is a _Phoenix Hawk_ , model P-X-H-One-Dee. It has some quirks, as expected of an older machine – though it's still much younger than your old _Lancelot_ – but it seems to match your criteria." He smiled at them. "Consider it payment for the salvage. I'll also store your _Lancelot_ until Junior can ship it."

"Junior?"

"The merchant captain your captain negotiated with. While he also works as an information broker, he's a Lyran through-and-through – plus he says that he owes the Hunters for something he refuses to mention."

"I take it you've had some…interactions…with him?" Amber asked.

"I've had to since Weiss's former commanding officer was stationed here. He has often taken supplies from militia stores in order to supply his troops." Klein shook his head in resignation, before looking at Ruby and smiling. "I trust you'll do your best with that _Phoenix Hawk_?"

"Absolutely!" Ruby replied with a salute and a grin.

 ***TCD***

 _DropShip_ Forever Fall _,  
En route to JumpShip_ Monty Oum  
 _Poulsbo, Alarion Province  
Lyran Commonwealth  
31 December 3025_

"So you'll be piloting a _Phoenix Hawk_ now?" Velvet asked her girlfriend as the two sat in the _Forever Fall_ 's observation lounge during their downtime.

"Yep," Ruby replied, popping the 'p'. "I've been spending my 'on-duty' time training on it in the simulators. It's definitely a _lot_ different than _Thorn_. And I mean besides the fact that it's fifteen tons lighter."

"I can imagine. And you're calling it _Crescent Rose_ instead of _Crescent Rose Two_?"

"I know I gave Mom's _Lancelot_ that same name, too, but it was always ' _Thorn_ ' to me. This _Phoenix Hawk_ , though…. _Crescent Rose_ seems to fit it pretty well."

"How will this affect your lance?" Velvet asked her.

"Well, I'm not the heaviest in the lance anymore," Ruby replied. "I'm still adjusting to it, as it packs less armor than I was used to, as well as lighter firepower. On the other hand, it's as fast as my old ride but a lot more mobile. I have experienced a lot of failures, but I'm getting the hang of it"

"Well, it hadn't been too long since you started training on it, so it's understandable you haven't gotten a handle on it yet." Velvet hugged her girlfriend. "You'll get it, I know."

"Well, I still have to practice with my lance, too. Going with this new ride will mean a revision of tactics," she said, leaning into the brunette's arms.

"Let's not worry about it now, Red. Right now…let's just enjoy the quiet."

"I get the feeling we won't find many moments like this in the future."

"I sincerely hope you're wrong."

 ***TCD***

 _JumpShip_ Monty Oum _,  
Poulsbo, Alarion Province  
Lyran Commonwealth  
9 January 3025_

Glynda Goodwitch stood on the bridge of her JumpShip nine days later, watching as her crew finished their preparations for the jump. She had an unsettling feeling about this raid, a feeling that had started when Ozpin had first briefed her on the mission. A retaliatory raid against the League was expected, even if it was just a punitive one, but it would've made more sense for a Lyran unit to execute such a mission rather than a mercenary one. Although, as they were employed by the Commonwealth, the Hunters were _technically_ a Lyran command and were a politically viable option; but they were currently the only intact military command on Poulsbo, and a single combined arms regiment would be hard-pressed to protect a whole world. But some instinct was warning against this raid, or at least its target.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," her first officer, a bear of a Kurita expatriate named Tuckson, said.

"As do I, but we have both orders and a contractual obligation," she replied, her reluctance evident in her tone.

"I don't like it, though."

"Neither do I." Glynda sighed. "Our jump target is Galisteo. It's just over twenty-one lightyears away, practically next door in astronomical terms. It has one habitable world, basic industry. Our mission is simply to raid the supply warehouses near the Drop Port."

Tuckson pulled up the Lyran Intelligence Corps' information on Galisteo on his datapad. "According to the LIC, the planetary militia consists of a single 'Mech company composed mainly of older designs, mostly in the Medium and Heavy classes, with two reinforced vehicle battalions in support. Infantry assets are also available. Right now is actually a good time to conduct a raid, as our information says that the FWLM unit stationed there is the one that hit Poulsbo."

"Which is also bad news, as that Grimm company came in with that unit," the blonde captain reminded him.

"So there could be more Grimm on Galisteo," he muttered. "You'll brief the grounders before deployment, right, Captain?"

"I'm tempted to abort the op because of the possibility, but right now there is no evidence to support either possibility." She sighed, and pushed her glasses back up. "What's our status, Mister Tuckson?"

"All stations report locked, secured, and ready. We can jump on your command."

"Commence the jump," she ordered. As her command was carried out, she directed a thought towards Ozpin: _If you don't change, Oz, I'm afraid something will._ Right after that, the _Monty Oum_ vanished from the Poulsbo system and – for all intents and purposes – instantaneously reappeared in the Galisteo system.

"Detach DropShips immediately," Glynda ordered, as soon as everyone – and the ship's systems – had recovered from the jump. "After they're clear, deploy the sail and immediately commence recharge operations. Start running constant scans, I don't want any surprises." As her crew carried out the necessary operations, the blonde found herself wishing they had at least a _Leopard CV_ with them; it's six aerospace fighters would provide better coverage for both the JumpShip and the DropShips. As she began seeing the drive lights of the three DropShips through the _Monty Oum_ 's bridge windows, she sincerely wished the sinking feeling in her gut was simply a lingering effect of the jump.

 _DropShip_ Forever Fall _, en route to  
Galisteo  
Free Worlds League  
9 January 3026_

For the first time in her life, Vernal found herself having trouble keeping focused on her job. She was grateful that she had a good bridge crew, as her being distracted could've made things a disaster. The reason for her distraction was the newest addition to her crew, as well as the Hunters: Weiss Schnee. Vernal was, in her opinion, a professional skeptic and did not believe in 'love at first sight' like fairy tales and fictional stories perpetrated. But there was something about the white-haired Lyran that seemed to draw her in. She wouldn't deny that the young woman was physically attractive, the scar over her left eye simply adding to her beauty, but there was something else, something…more…to her.

"I've deployed the Aero Lance for cover, Captain," Weiss said, jarring the brunette from her thoughts.

"Very good, Lieutenant," she said, nodding. "Coordinate with the other DropShips to provide mutual cover. Something's off about this op, and we definitely don't have sufficient fighter cover."

"I agree, Captain," the younger woman replied. "It would have been simple to have the _Monty Oum_ 's small craft temporarily transferred out and replaced with additional aerospace fighters."

"It would have been," Vernal mused. "But right now our focus needs to be on our own forces. It's a four-day run from the jump point to the planet."

"I can meet with Major Amber in the tactical operations room and we can use laser line of sight comms to work out a plan of action with the other commands."

"Good idea, Lieutenant. Carry it out and let me know what's worked out." Weiss saluted and left the bridge, and Vernal let out a sigh of relief.

"You've got it bad," her executive officer commented with a sly smile.

"Go fuck yourself."

 **E/N:** Changes are coming to the Hunters. I had fun writing this chapter, especially getting Weiss into the Hunters. I know there wasn't really any Ren/Blake in this chapter, and I haven't really touched on Yang/Nora, but the story's still young. Never miss a beat!


	11. 10 - Battle of Galisteo Part 1

_In a time of unceasing warfare,_

 _The legacy of a fallen age,_

 _Empires fight for an ancient throne_

 _Battles are waged across the stars,_

 _Fought by giant engines of war known as_

 _BattleMechs_

 _But not all battles are fought with from a cockpit,_

 _And some battles have stakes_

 _Higher than victory or defeat._

 **10 – Battle of Galisteo Part 1**

 _Galisteo, Tamarind Military District_

 _Free Worlds League_

 _12 January 3026_

The landing had been rather contested, but the formation the Hunters DropShips held – along with the two _Corsairs_ from the _Forever Fall_ – was able to allow the mercenaries to land in their planned drop zone. The FWLM actually had a larger than expected aerospace presence, even the local militia was stronger than expected, which actually shouldn't have been a surprise considering the Free Worlds League Militia had a well-developed aerospace industry. It was very suspicious, though, that a pair of 50-ton aerospace fighters could stand against the squadrons defending Galisteo. The FWLM classed its forces as either "League" (which were beholden only to the Captain-General) or "Provincial" (which answered to both the leader of their home province and the Captain-General).

Currently, there weren't any League units on Galisteo, but the Provincial force assigned to Galisteo had two attached aerospace squadrons, one of which had deployed with the Poulsbo raiding force. The other, along with two 'Mech companies and an armor battalion, remained on Galisteo. That still left eighteen aerospace fighters defending Galisteo, not including the older, less-capable fighters used by the planetary defenders. So even with support from the trio of DropShips, the two _Corsairs_ shouldn't have been able to help the ground forces break through to the planet.

Which rang a lot of warning bells with the Hunters deployed to Galisteo. Because even with it being a raid, there should have been stiffer resistance. But while they were committed to their contract and orders that didn't mean they would blindly follow them. During their approach run, the _Emerald Forest_ – the Hunters' _Buccaneer_ -class DropShip – deployed a series of small, 1-ton micro-satellites that contained sensors and a communications link up. With a limited fuel supply, the 'satellites' would drift along their deployed orbital paths, scanning and mapping the planet and then transmitting their scans to the three DropShips. They were programmed to do so every thirty minutes, unless something triggered a subroutine, in which case all of the data to that point would be compressed and burst transmitted to the _Emerald Forest_.

When the _Forever Fall_ 's 'Mech Bay doors opened, the first ones out were Ruby in her new _Phoenix Hawk_ (though she'd be the first to admit she was only fair in piloting it right now), Blake in her _Spider_ , Ren's _Assassin_ , and Pyrrha in her modified _Dervish_. The four 'Mechs set up a perimeter as the rest of Ranger Company deployed, as well as the combat vehicles of Lightning Company. The reason for the chosen 'Mech deployment was the speed of three of the 'Mechs, and the coverage Pyrrha was able to provide with her LRMs. While Ren's _Assassin_ also featured an LRM launcher, it only carried a single LRM-5 compared to the four carried by the _Dervish_.

During the trip to the _Monty Oum_ – and the transit from the _Oum_ to Galisteo – Amber had decided to rearrange the lances of her company. Ruby, Blake, Ren, and Pyrrha were the new Rose Lance, which was sensible considering that three of the four were high-speed 'Mechs. She kept Yang and Nora together, as their modified _Hunchbacks_ complemented each other perfectly; she matched them up with Jaune and his _Rifleman_ and the _JagerMech_ from her own lance (the two Heavy 'Mechs were excellent AA platforms, and the two Mediums were well suited to either defending them, or providing a variable-range punch for an assault). She moved Coco and Yatsuhashi to her lance, making it a powerhouse assault anchor.

" _Hey, Ruby?"_ came Blake over the lance's frequency; the two of them were lancemates as her _Phoenix Hawk_ could better support the lighter _Spider_ in close-range engagements.

"What is it, Blake?" the crimsonette asked.

" _Why Galisteo? According to the database, it doesn't have a large industrial base and has to import a lot of its necessities. It's mainly an agricultural world, though it only produces enough to sustain its population."_

"I don't get it, either. I mean, other than the combat units stationed here, there really isn't much to recommend it for a raid. Intelligence says the League is using it to stockpile supplies for either a heavier or raid, or a League assault on the Commonwealth."

" _Something more has to be going on here,"_ Ren put in. " _Pyrrha and I haven't discovered any movement in our sector, Lieutenant."_

"I don't like it," Ruby replied, "especially since neither Blake nor I have found anything, either. You'd think that there'd at least be scouts of some kind, or even aerospace fighters on strafing runs."

" _Well, Yang's lance is deploying now. Jaune's_ Rifleman _and that_ JagerMech _should guard against that last possibility."_

 ***TCD***

Amber trotted her _Thug_ out of the _Forever Fall_ , twisting its torso left and right in order to look at the landscape directly out of her cockpit's windows. Galisteo's temperate climate was well suited to the farming and ranching lifestyles of its 19 million inhabitants. Consisting of one planet-wide supercontinent interspersed with country-sized lakes, Galisteo was definitely an odd choice for a raid. The intelligence they'd been provided seemed solid, but Amber wasn't taking any chances. Vernal had landed the _Fall_ – and ordered the other two DropShips to land – well outside of any of Galisteo's homesteads or townships, and making sure to avoid any farmland or herd areas; none of the Hunters wanted to impact the planet's economy and life any more than they absolutely had to. They would deploy their scout hovertanks to search for the League supply cache and use Rose Lance to minimize impact on the landscape, with two Maultier and four Maxim hover APCs in support. The heavier elements would remain near the DropShips both to protect them and to wait for a signal from the scouts.

" _This is a trap, boss,"_ Coco commented, her _Marauder_ 's arms up and ready.

"Of course it is," she agreed. "The question is, what's the actual goal? And who's behind it?"

" _Captain, Ranger Company is fully deployed,"_ Yatsuhashi reported.

"What about the rest of our scout elements?"

" _Captain. Lightning Company reports two lances fully deployed and assembled,"_ Weiss reported over the comm. " _Rapier Battalion reports half deployment right now."_

"Alright. We'll consolidate our position until all units report full deployment," Amber ordered.

"Once we're fully deployed, excepting Lightning Company's non-combat assets, I want a mobile perimeter with our hover tanks, and infantry deployed in observation posts at key points. Make sure their APCs keep at a constant ready status. I want Dragon Lance and Maiden Lance deployed to either reinforce our scout elements or cover a withdrawal to the DropShips. Something isn't right here, and I don't want us caught by surprise."

" _Yes, ma'am,"_ Weiss. " _Dragon Lance, deploy in a wide arc but stay within visual range of one another. Keep your eyes on the sky, Arc! Your_ Rifleman' _s sensor array is good for tracking air assets. Captain Amber, deploy your Maiden Lance in the same manner as Dragon but further from the DropShips; with three of your 'Mechs mounting PPCs, you're well suited for longer-range coverage."_

"You heard our tactical officer, everyone! Let's move it!"

 ***TCD***

 _Alpha Headquarters, Beowolf Legion_

 _Texarkana Plains, Galisteo_

 _Free Worlds League_

 _12 January 3026_

The leader of the Grimm unit known as the Beowolf Legion studied the reports before him. Officially, his rank was Alpha Prime, but the members of his command – which numbered up to two reinforced 'Mech battalions with a company of fast hover tanks for support – simply called him 'The Alpha.' The Beowolf Legion relied on both numbers and speed to bring down their opponents, operating as a wolf pack rather than a juggernaut. As such, their BattleMech battalions were a mix of fast Lights and Mediums, with only a lance of Heavies in each battalion.

Right now, the scout elements of both Alpha and Beta Battalions had reported that the invaders – the warbook program identified them as units from the Hunters mercenary command – had deployed between the hidden bases of both units, but in a position that made them part of a more or less equilateral triangle. A full 'Mech company, a reinforced vehicle company, and a full battalion of infantry had landed and deployed, assets which matched up with the reports sent by the spy within the enemy's ranks. In fact, just moments ago he'd received a report that a burst transmission – no more than two seconds in duration – had been sent to a Grimm spy satellite, the contents of which were a single word that when matched against a list given only to unit commanders decoded to mean that the spy was within the combat area.

"I will need to send a response," he mused, setting the datapad down, "So I can get their IFF signature. Mistress Salem would not be pleased if such an asset was destroyed by her own forces. I will also bring both battalions to readiness, then personally prepare and send a situation report to her. We will watch and wait to strike, unless commanded otherwise." His course chosen, The Alpha began preparing and issuing his orders; time would be of the essence if they needed to move, or silence any of the Hunters' scouts. Their Ranger Company had a good mix of weight classes, and would be used to working together, though according to their spy one of the lance leaders switched to a much lighter 'Mech two weeks prior, which would not allow for much unit integration training. So a battle plan would need to be built around dividing the 'Mechs and vehicles down into their individual lances and isolating them for destruction.

He had no doubt, though, that his unit would be given the order to utterly destroy these Hunters; after all, it was Mistress Salem's orders that had allowed them to face only minor resistance to their approach – even if the Mariks didn't truly know it. She had plans for the Inner Sphere, and those who stood against them would fall. He finished his report to Mistress Salem, and used the system built into his office computers to compress and transmit the file to a special receiver located in Galisteo's capital 'city,' where its operator then downloaded it to a data crystal and used the local HPG array to send it on its way.

 ***TCD***

 _Texarkana Plains,_

 _Galisteo, Tamarind Province_

 _Free Worlds League_

 _12 January 3026_

Ruby's _Phoenix Hawk_ crested a low rise, its torso twisting left and right as though to trying to visually find the enemy its sensors could not. Trailing behind and to the left of it, though at the same speed, was Blake's lighter _Spider_. Further behind them, but in an echelon right formation, were Ren in his _Assassin_ and Pyrrha in her _Dervish_. The new Rose Lance was moving at the maximum cruising speed of its slowest member, which was the 55-ton _Dervish_ , during its scouting patrol. The orbital scans taken on approach had indicated that the Marik ground forces were gathering together before they would move in on the Hunters, but something was still feeling very wrong to the 20-year-old lance leader. The inhabitants of Galisteo hadn't even bothered to make a showing, which confirmed the idea that so long as their livelihoods remained intact then combat would only be between the FWLM forces and the mercenaries.

" _This is rather unsettling,"_ Pyrrha said over the lance's frequency. " _We should've encountered someone by now. Even if it was just a single scout vehicle, or a reconnaissance squad of infantry."_

"I agree, Spartan," Ruby said, using the older woman's callsign. "I'm going to go active with my sensors, see if that triggers anything. You three be ready for anything." After receiving affirmative responses, Ruby turned shifted her medium 'Mech's sensors to active mode, the sensor array now actively sending out signals rather than waiting to pick up one. Blake slowed her 'Mech a bit and moved it close the larger _Phoenix Hawk_ ; she would use its active signature and the new closeness of the machines to hide her own, even though a visual check would reveal her. Ren and Pyrrha popped open the hatches for their 'Mechs' respective LRM launchers, the paddle-like hands of the heavier _Dervish_ rising up to bring the SRM launchers they contained to readiness.

Still nothing but the usual background clutter.

"Close up formation," Ruby ordered. "Make sure to leave yourselves clear lines of fire, and cover each other's six."

" _Affirmative, Rose Lead."_

" _Understood."_

" _Alright."_

Switching her sensors back into passive mode, the crimsonette subconsciously pulled the left side of her bottom lip between her teeth. Everything about this mission screamed 'trap' or 'setup,' but she had no idea why Ozpin would set them up. Glynda didn't seem like the kind, either. _Something isn't right here_ , she once again thought.

 ***TCD***

 _Tombstone, Galisteo_

 _Tamarind Province_

 _Free Worlds League_

 _13 January 3026_

The capital of Galisteo was large compared to the settlements and homesteads scattered across the temperate, prairie-like world. It made a lot of sense, as Tombstone was where the majority of the population resided. The citizens of Galisteo were extremely proficient in 'Mech piloting, as the ranchers used AgroMechs to tend to the massive herds of genetically modified super cattle like the 5-ton Range Bull, as well as to protect those herds from the large predators that roamed the world. To say nothing of those said inhabitants. Right now, the news traveling through Tombstone – and the rest of the settlements – was about the Lyran mercenary raiders. The talk generally ran along the lines of "Lyrans are always taking what isn't theirs" and "at least they're just mercenaries, and not House troops," though there was some respect when it was reported that – regardless of what they were after – the mercenary soldiers were doing what they could to minimize their impact on the locals. However, one person amongst all of those in Tombstone had a different view on the arrival of the Hunters.

"This is a drekkin' hell of a coincidence," muttered Raven Branwen as she sipped a glass of the local whiskey, which wasn't as good as the whiskey that had to be imported from Glengarry in the Commonwealth. Raven's comment was referring to the arrival of the Hunters raiding party on the very world her investigations over the years had led her to.

Right now, she was killing time until an on-planet contact finally met up with her, her stolen Capellan 'Mech hidden inside a warehouse at Tombstone's Drop Port. It was inside a 'Mech-sized crate labeled as being a new version of the _Ranchhand_ AgroMech used by pretty much everyone on Galisteo. And while it was obvious Raven was a foreigner – evidenced by her looks as much as her demeanor – no one really bothered her after she'd cleaned up a bar when a man hitting on her refused to take 'no' for an answer and then his buddies got dragged in.

"Ya say somethin', darlin'?" asked the bartender.

"Another glass," she said, raising her almost empty mug. The bartender sighed, shaking his head, but got her another whiskey; after all, she was paying in good, ComStar-verifiable C-bills rather than House script. And she didn't drink anywhere near as much as the guy at the other end of the bar, who was obviously kin to the woman. His reason for obviously sitting so far away was because she'd casually and languidly threatened to remove his manhood through his mouth after he'd told her about the mercenary raiders. Of course, anyone who wasn't too far into their drinks could see that the woman wasn't one to be trifled with; she had the obvious physique of a MechWarrior who took physical training as seriously as 'Mech piloting.

Raven had a hard time believing she was encountering her former unit again, even though the odds against avoiding them forever were beyond astronomical. She sighed and downed her new whiskey in one shot, calling it an end after that. Unlike her brother, she wasn't addicted to alcohol though she would be lying if she said she didn't need it every now and then. It helped keep the pain at bay while she pursued her vengeance. In fact, it was during the follow-up of a lead that she'd lost her old ride to an ambush. If Qrow hadn't shown up she would've lost her life, too; as it was, she had spent two weeks in a med center under a false identity recovering. After she'd badgered her way out, though, she had resumed her quest and ended up gaining a tidbit of information on a brand-new Liao prototype, which resulted in her gaining her current ride.

And then he'd invited himself along.

That had resulted in a long argument that could've rivaled the Third Succession War, but in the end she'd actually _lost_ the fight when he'd pointed out that they'd been together since they left the Outworld Alliance and he made a mistake in not helping her before. The fact that her arrogant alcoholic of a twin had admitted to being wrong about something had been the thing to sway her – and also undo her, as she'd ended up venting everything to him, from the feelings of loss and failure she had about Summer's death to the nearly overwhelming about of guilt and pain in having left their daughters. But she firmly believed she couldn't go back, not yet – maybe not at all. And of course she denied that she had ever been vulnerable enough to confess everything to her drunk of a brother.

"Raven, hold up!" she heard someone call out from behind her. Startled out of her thoughts, she realized she was no longer in the bar, but out in Tombstone itself and heading towards the Drop Port. Qrow walked up next to his now motionless sister and place a hand on her shoulder.

"I can't do this, Qrow," she said softly.

"They won't be coming here," he told her, 'here' referring to Tombstone. "It's just a coincidence – a major one – that they're here at the same time we are. I doubt Ozpin would-"

"It's not _him_ that's here, Qrow!" she snapped, glaring at him before the expression cracked and her shoulders slumped. "It's Amber's people."

"Ruby and Yang," he said in understanding. "They don't know we're here, you know. Chances are it's just a raid."

"But that's just it," Raven replied with a frown. "Galisteo, by itself, offers nothing of value for a raid. Its resources are just enough to sustain its population. And while we've found evidence that the League is stockpiling some supplies here, it's nowhere near enough to justify a raid."

"They can't be here for you. Otherwise they'd have landed directly at the Drop Port, or sent a message via ComStar or something. Which means something else is going on."

"The Grimm," she growled venomously.

"I wouldn't put it past them," Qrow agreed, studiously avoiding the use of their leader's name.

"We know from our own…investigations…that they're after the destruction of the Hunters. But at least they haven't spread much beyond the Free Worlds League, as far as their military advances go."

"We know they're penetrating the Capellan Confederation and the Draconis Combine."

"Yes, but it's harder in the Confederation thanks to the Maskirovka."

"All it would take is getting an agent or two within the Death Commandos or a Warrior House, and working their way up the ranks."

"You paint a _Grimm_ picture," Qrow said with a smirk, before getting a smack upside the back of his head.

"Asshole," she growled, continuing on her way.

"Raven….what are we going to do about Ruby and Yang? You know they're both here."

"I won't face them," she snapped. "I….I can't. It's been too long. Too much has happened."

"Raven….." he said quietly, garnering her attention. "This can't go on. Not with what we've learned so far. We don't have to go back to Ozpin, but….we can go back to Ruby and Yang. They _need_ you. It won't be an easy reunion, in fact it'll probably be downright antagonistic, but-"

"-it will eventually need to happen," she reluctantly agreed. She groans. "Drek it, Qrow, I drekkin' hate it when you make sense – as rare as that is."

 ***TCD***

 _Texarkana Plains,_

 _Galisteo, Tamarind Province_

 _Free Worlds League_

 _13 January 3026_

"It's been almost twenty-four local hours since we began operations, and we haven't seen _any_ sign of a maintenance shack, much less a supply depot," Ruby groused, sitting in her seat in the _Forever Fall_ 's tactical operations room. Amber was running a meeting with Ranger Company, as well as the leaders of the vehicle and infantry commands, to discuss the situation.

"Lieutenant Rose has a point," agreed Captain Argyle, leader of Lightning Company. "We know for a fact that there are still Marik military assets here, though nowhere near what would be expected of an invasion staging point."

"It's bullshit, is what it is," Yang put in, banging a fist on the very small holo-table. "What the hell was Ozpin thinking?"

"That's enough, Yang," Amber said, putting her foot down, but without any rancor; after all, she'd been wondering the same thing.

"No, she has a point, Amber," Ruby countered. "We were ordered on this raid with essentially no aerospace support, yet we somehow managed to run a gauntlet with relatively little damage. We were told there was a supply depot being filled with equipment and munitions for a possible invasion of the Commonwealth, yet we haven't seen _any_ sign of such a buildup. We haven't even encountered _any_ Marik forces on-world yet, and we know they're here."

Amber sighed, conceding her position. She really didn't have a choice, nor a desire, to disagree. There was something wrong with their deployment; being sent on it without at least a single _Leopard CV_ to provide cover was just the first. Every Hunter on Galisteo knew that Ozpin didn't approve of their oath to leave no Grimm alive, but it was unthinkable that he'd send them into a trap.

At least, not knowingly. Of course, if he saw the signs, he could very well have chosen to regard them as something different than what they were – or simply refuse to see what they were really were, as had been shown with the Betrayal. _Ozpin was the problem back then_ , Amber thought, as the others began discussing the situation and its stupidity, _not wanting to believe that his oldest friend and ally would turn on him. In fact, everything back then seemed a little too fine right before-_

"Oh, shit!" she blurted out, drawing everyone's attention to herself.

"Captain?" Yang asked, a bit worried; it wasn't like Amber to just swear like that out of the blue.

"I want everyone on full alert!" Amber snapped out. "Ranger Company on two on, one off status. Lightning Company, keep your non-combat assets aboard the DropShip and have everything else ready to move at a moment's notice!"

"Captain, what's wrong?" Ruby asked.

"We may be about to be in some deep shit. Our current situation is similar to the Betrayal."

No one spoke; everyone was too shocked to respond.

"Think on it," Amber continued. "Back then, everything was going too well – in spite of the fact that our Lyran employer's forces were withdrawing as were we. Right now, we had an easy run to the planet, an uncontested landing, and no reprisals from the local forces."

"We're in deep shit," Ruby deadpanned. Amber agreed with a nod, and then hit the comm.

" _Bridge."_

"Captain Vernal?"

" _What is it, Amber?"_

"I want the _Fall_ prepped for immediate departure, if you please."

" _She'll be on five-minute alert in the next twenty minutes."_ The communications ended right after that; Vernal's instincts were just as sharp as everyone else's, and the situation had really been bugging her to no end.

"I'll have Rapier pull in its outposts and begin loading infantry assets," Captain Morgan said. "We'll keep our vehicles available for support if needed."

"Ozpin makes a mistake and we'll be suffering for it," Ruby growled darkly. Before Amber could reply to that, Vernal came back over the TOR's speakers.

" _Patching in Helio Flight,"_ she said. There was momentary silence, then a pop of static.

" _-repeat, this is Helio Flight! We've spotted Grimm in sector Alpha-Charlie-India-Three-Seven-Niner-Golf! Forty-eight Bravo-Mikes inbound!"_

Amber leaned forward and activated her comm unit. "Helio Flight, this is Ranger Actual. We read you. What else can you give me about the enemy?" she asked, her voice calmer than she felt.

" _A-Affirmative, Ranger Actual,"_ Velvet replied. " _Enemy appears to be Light and Medium Bravo Mikes, mostly_ Stingers _,_ Wasps _,_ Locusts _, along with_ Cicadas _and_ Assassins _, and what looks like a single_ Shadow Hawk _."_

"Very good. Keep an eye on them, but don't hesitate to withdraw if you have to."

Amber looked around the room at the (pardon the pun) grim faces before her.

"The shit has hit the fan in a big way."

 ***TCD***

 _Castle Grimm, Shadow Plains_

 _Epsilon, Stewart Commonwealth_

 _Free Worlds League_

 _13 January 3026_

"And so it begins," Salem murmured as she looked out upon the landscape before her. She knew that, by now, her people on Galisteo would begin their attacks upon the Hunters Ozpin had so foolishly sent to that world. A course of action she had dictated thanks to her agents within the Lyran Commonwealth. The Hunters were the only real obstacle to her plans, although their completion was inevitable. And wiping out Ozpin's forces on Galisteo would provide a degree of personal satisfaction for her; after all, Amber was the only survivor of the original Maiden Lance that had survived her attack, and the daughter of the _bitch_ that had maimed her was also there.

There was, of course, another matter to attend to.

"Tyrian," she said quietly.

"Yes, Mistress?" the obviously unbalanced man asked as he stepped forward to stand just behind and to the right of her.

"Keep an eye on Cinder. I do not want her resolve to…waver."

His unhinged giggles preceded his reply. "Yes, Mistress."

"And stay away from Neo. I would really rather not have to replace you, though it would not be an issue."

 **E/N:** Thus it starts. An obvious trap, those missing turn up, and the shadows grow deeper. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and spotted the included Easter Egg. Never miss a beat.


	12. 11 - Battle of Galisteo Part 2

_In a time of unceasing warfare,_

 _The legacy of a fallen age,_

 _Empires fight for an ancient throne_

 _Battles are waged across the stars,_

 _Fought by giant engines of war known as_

 _BattleMechs_

 _But not all battles are fought with from a cockpit,_

 _And some battles have stakes_

 _Higher than victory or defeat._

11 – Battle of Galisteo Pt 2

 _Texarkana Plains,_

 _Galisteo, Tamarind Province_

 _Free Worlds League_

 _13 January 3026_

Ruby definitely wasn't all the way up to speed in piloting her new _Phoenix Hawk_ (new to her, at least). Simulator practice, both during the run from Poulsbo to the _Monty Oum_ and then from the _Oum_ to Galisteo's surface, had only been enough to give her a basic knowledge of handling the 45-tonner, as well as its loadout. Having piloted a Heavy 'Mech for her entire career until now, actually piloting a 'Mech that was 15-tons lighter was an entirely new experience. It did share the same speed as her mother's _Lancelot_. For another, it had actual arms instead of gun barrels attached at the shoulder. And the lighter weight meant a much lighter level of armor so she had to rely more on maneuverability than ever before. So a definite adjustment of battle tactics was required. Fortunately, in spite of the enemy being Grimm, most of their designs were of the same weight class as her. Sprinting forward at her _Phoenix Hawk_ 's maximum speed, she twisted left and unloaded both of her arm-mounted Medium Lasers into the side of a Grimm _Stinger_ , the twin blasts sneaking past the swinging arm of the 20-tonner and blasting away its thin armor, and cracking the reactor shielding a bit. As it turned to face her, she unloaded her right arm's Large Laser and in spite of the glancing angle managed to connect with the same wound in the _Stinger_ 's side, fully breaching the reactor shielding and causing the fusion engine to automatically shut down. Unfortunately for the Grimm pilot, they'd been moving at full speed; so with no power, there was no control, and the scout 'Mech crashed headlong into the ground at 97.2kph.

Ruby jerked left and managed to avoid a burst of machine gun fire from a nearby _Locust_. She didn't want to slow down to make a faster turn to aim at the other 25-tonner, but she also knew that it would take too long to make the turn at her current speed. Fortunately, she didn't have to as her sensors indicated the Grimm 'Mech was being peppered with LRM fire.

"Thanks, Nora," she said over the comm.

" _Any time, Lieutenant! Now bring 'em in so I can break their legs!"_ the orange-haired girl yelled gleefully. The green light of a Medium Laser lanced past her 'Mech's head, and she aimed her left arm at the offending _Wasp_ and punched her own Medium Laser's beam through its faceplate. The lighter 'Mech collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

Ruby was suddenly knocked hard against her restraints as her _P-Hawk_ was hit by a series of laser blasts. She glanced up in time to see a fast-moving 40-ton _Cicada_ race past her viewscreen. Snapping her 'Mech's right arm up, she fired of a burst from her Large Laser, raising the heat in her cockpit to the point she was gasping for breath but taking satisfaction in seeing the red beam slice across the Grimm's knee joint as all 40 tons of mass landed on it. The weakened structure couldn't bear the stress and snapped, sending it skidding across the ground.

 ***TCD***

Coco fired off the PPC in her _Marauder_ 's left arm, the heavy particle beam coring through the armor of a Grimm _Wasp_ and blowing its reactor shielding, the fusion engine going critical even as two more _Wasps_ and a _Stinger_ hit her with more Medium Laser strikes. Her 75-ton MAD-3R could shrug off the hits, but considering how many of these Grimm 'Mechs there were it would only be a matter of time before her armor gave way. Triggering her dorsal-mounted AC/5, she watched with satisfaction as the 3-round burst of 120mm shells ripped apart the head of the _Stinger_. In response, her _Marauder_ was rocked again and a warning discrete flashed on her tertiary screen: the two remaining _Stingers_ of the lance assaulting her had managed to hit the same location with their Medium Lasers, piercing the armor and taking out one of her heat sinks.

Twin PPC blasts savaged one of the _Stingers_ , reducing it to non-functioning scrap and killing the pilot. Yatsuhashi's WHM-6R _Warhammer_ stepped into her line of sight, its SRM-6 launcher belching out an unguided flight of six rockets into the other _Stinger_ as its Medium and Small Lasers - one of each paired up in the left and right torso locations - fired off into the same 20-tonner, the lasers savaging its armor while the missiles blasted apart its head. The ON1-K _Orion_ Amber had swapped into her lance stepped forward as well, its class-10 autocannon and SRM-4 launcher firing into the backside of a Grim _Assassin_ , ripping apart the thin rear armor and eating up the reactor shielding. The field dampeners shut it down, but Coco fired her left-arm PPC into its cockpit, killing the pilot.

"Into the darkness, into oblivion, shall the Fallen be consigned," she intoned after her execution of the enemy pilot.

" _Thus is the Fate of Grimm,"_ echoed Yatsu and the _Orion_ 's pilot. Strangely, Jaune stayed silent, his 60-ton _Rifleman_ firing off a burst from its AC/5s and Medium Lasers to cripple a _Cicada_. Of Ranger Company, he was the one that had been the most reluctant to take the oath. She thought nothing of it, nor of Yatsu when he fired both of his PPCs into the 40-ton and detonated its fusion reactor.

"Alright, fall back by the numbers," Coco ordered. "We'll get back to the DropShips and get under the cover of their weapons." She switched frequencies. "Ranger Actual, this is Gatling Actual. We're falling back to the DropShips for repairs and reloads."

" _Gatling Actual, this is Ranger Actual,"_ came Weiss's voice. " _Maiden and Rose Lances are falling back as well. We have deployed our fast vehicles to provide assistance. Air assets have reported that the Grimm force numbers were approximately two reinforced battalions, although combat losses have reduced them by about a company each."_

"Doesn't seem like they're veteran pilots," Coco replied.

" _With their numbers they don't really need skill, Lieutenant,"_ the ex-LCAF woman replied.

 ***TCD***

"All units hold position, do not pursue," Alpha ordered, watching as Ranger Company fell back. While it would have been easy enough to pursue and wipe out the 'Mech assets, doing so would've led to the near-annihilation - if not complete destruction - of his entire command. Destroying a company of the hated Hunters would have been worth sacrificing many - if not most - of his forces, but he hadn't risen to command the Legion without learning when to push forward and when to wait. According to the spy, the forces currently on Galisteo had a trio of DropShips: a _Union_ -class, a _Condor_ -class, and a modified _Buccaneer_ -class. From the cockpit of his modified _Shadow Hawk_ , he watched as the lance his immediate command had been engaged with fell back, the 30-ton _Spider_ and 40-ton _Assassin_ using their superior speed to cover their slower lancemates - which included a black-and-red-painted _Phoenix Hawk_.

"Soon, Silver-Eyed Warrior," he said aloud, his comm and speakers off. "Soon you shall be destroyed for the glory of the Grimm." He ordered his remaining forces to hold the field, and then called up his salvage and recovery assets. He didn't bother calling up his MASH vehicles; every Grimm knew by now that Ranger Company didn't leave any survivors when it came to them, and he had personally seen them aim for cockpit strikes, or blasting fusion reactors. Even as they fell back to regroup and rearm, he'd seen them make strikes against the cockpits of fallen Grimm 'Mechs to ensure their pilots were dead. His custom _Shadow Hawk_ \- officially designated by the Grimm as the SHD-BL - made its way towards the outermost edge of the combat area and looked towards where the Hunters had retreated, seeing the black-and-red _Phoenix Hawk_ making sure it was the last to completely fall back. He hadn't gotten in range of any of them; while normally a _Shadow Hawk_ would mount a good-ranged AC/5 and an LRM launcher, he'd pretty much stripped his machine of its weapons to add in an AC/20 with two tons of ammo, retaining only the Medium Laser while adding in a second, and mounting both in the right torso.

His radar pinged for his attention, and he saw a 'Mech approaching his position. Looking out towards his right, he saw a black-painted _Hatchetman_ moving towards him. It's almost moderate white accenting indicated that it was the Legion's overall executive officer, and direct commander of his Beta Battalion. And like his _Shadow Hawk_ , this _Hatchetman_ was not the standard model. The HCT-3BL stripped the AC/10 and ammo common to the HCT-3F and replaced it with a fifth Jump Jet, an SRM-4 with a ton of ammo, a more powerful reactor to increase its normally lead-footed speed, and additional armor. While it had less bite because of the loss of the autocannon, it's higher speed often threw enemies off long enough for it to close in and strike them with the lasers and SRM before it got within range for an 'all-or-nothing' strike with the hatchet in its left arm.

" _Alpha, the enemy has fallen back to within the perimeter line of the DropShips,"_ Beta reported.

"So I understand," Alpha replied. "Our information on their strength and skill was correct, though it seems as though the Rose's daughter is more acclimated to her new 'Mech than we were informed."

" _Perhaps she was holding back when the spy was witnessing?"_ came the suggestion. " _Or perhaps that_ Phoenix Hawk _is her ideal machine?"_

"Both are plausible. Regardless, we now know what to expect and will thus plan accordingly. As they now have confirmation we are here, I am certain that they will strive to eliminate us."

" _We outnumber them vastly, Alpha. In spite of their skill, and the lack of in most of our forces, we will defeat them through sheer numbers."_

"True as that is, their desire to wipe out the Grimm will cloud their judgement to a degree," Alpha replied. "It is also true that they face two choices: continue their raid for something that doesn't exist here, or withdraw and forfeit part of their contractual agreement."

" _Withdrawing in the face of overwhelming superiority would be the prudent course of action."_

"When it comes to us, those Hunters here on Galisteo are anything but prudent."

 ***TCD***

"Damn it, Amber!" Ruby shouted, slamming a fist on the holo-table in the _Forever Fall_ 's small Tactical Operations Room. "We weren't told there were Grimm here!"

"You think I don't know that?" the brunette snapped back. "We were deployed only with the _Fall_ 's Aero Lance for support, as well! Now calm your ass down or I'm putting you in the brig for insubordination!"

Ruby dropped into the chair, crossing her arms and glaring angrily at the table.

"Now, let me recap the situation," the Rangers CO said, remaining on her feet and looking around at her other two lance leaders as well as the commanders of the other two companies, plus Weiss who was representing the DropShip captains. "Colonel Ozpin gave us orders to conduct a raid on Galisteo to capture or destroy a cache of equipment the League was setting up in preparation for an assault on the Commonwealth," she continued. "The information was provided by Lyran intelligence agents, but we weren't able to verify it and Ozpin was insistent we go immediately. We weren't deployed with any aerospace cover beyond our own two _Corsairs_ , yet we encountered almost no aerospace resistance on the run in, nor during our landing and deployment." She looked around again. "Unverified intel and little resistance? It's definitely a trap, especially since we're heavily outnumbered. I seriously doubt Ozpin is conspiring against us, but I won't deny that his actions of late are of definite concern."

"So what will we do, then?" Weiss asked. "It's obvious someone set us up - though whether it's _us_ specifically or the Hunters in general is a moot point - and it's just as obvious that there isn't a military build up here."

"The rookie has a point," Yang put in, drawing a glare from the former LCAF woman. "Hell, Velvet's flight only had to engage four Marik fighters, and we know that there were more here. Plus there's the fact that we've encountered Grimm here."

"My infantry are loaded back aboard the _Matsu_ ," Captain Morgan, the CO of Rapier Battalion, put in. "Except for a platoon and their Maxim on perimeter patrol. I'm not going to risk having my command stuck outside the DropShip if we have to blast off quickly."

"That's a good idea, considering that the _Condor_ -class only has one vehicular ramp," Amber agreed. "Have you set up any observation posts?"

"No," he replied. "I don't want to have my troops scramble to evacuate them and board their transport under fire."

"Very well. Captain Argyle, what's the status of Lightning Company?" she asked.

"As you know, the Support Team never deployed from the _Emerald Forest_ ," he answered. "Before coming here, I ordered Anvil Lance to board the _Forest_ , as they're all wheeled Strikers. Demon and Mercury Lances have our hover tanks, and Demon is on perimeter patrol while Mercury Lance is set to rapidly reinforce any point of the perimeter."

"Good," Amber said. "Ranger Company's 'Mechs are undergoing field repairs and reloads. Ren and Blake are on the perimeter, as are Yatsuhashi and Coco. Right now we're trying to repair and rearm as fast as possible, as I doubt the Grimm are just going to let us be. We need to be ready to pull out at a moment's notice, so I want the DropShips all prepped for immediate launch." That last was directed to Weiss.

"Understood, Captain," Weiss replied. "Velvet and Fox are flying reconnaissance right now, maintaining a watch on the Grimm, but I'm concerned that the Marik fighters might be called in. There are still plenty more than what were shot down on our approach."

"An excellent point," the older woman acknowledged. "I don't like that we deployed without any other aerospace support, considering what we could have faced here. At the very least we should've had the _Scout_ -class _Red Lancer_ and it's _Leopard-CV_ along for this raid, but there's no use in wasting time on what should have been done. Right now priority goes to repairing and rearming the 'Mechs and preparing to lift off. Lieutenant Schnee, I want you to ask the DropShip captains to get ranged for ground support operations. I know firing arcs will be limited while they're grounded, but anything they can do to help cover the ground troops will be welcome."

"Yes, Captain," she said, managing not to reply in her native German.

"Dismissed," Amber said, although she motioned for Ruby to stay. Yang seemed reluctant to leave when she realized her sister wasn't following, but a nod from the younger woman had her going out the TOR's door. Once the two were alone, Amber practically dropped into one of the chairs and sagged into it.

"Ruby…..I know how you feel about all of this, especially Ozpin," she began after a few moments, "which is why I want you to know that once we're done with this raid I plan on pulling the company out of the Hunters."

"What?" the crimsonette blurted out, shocked.

"It won't be another Betrayal, as we won't turn on the rest of our former unit," Amber reassured her, "but this op clearly shows that Ozpin has lost touch with the warriors under his command. He may have had his hands tied by the mercenary liaison for unit deployment on this raid, but if we weren't allowed to bring our own aerospace support then our employer should've supplied some for us. I intend to talk this over with Vernal and the other DropShips' captains, and I plan on sending a message out to the _Monty Oum_ to inform Glynda as to what I'm doing."

"She hasn't seemed happy with him since he pulled me off of combat duty," Ruby pointed out. "But why are you telling only me this?"

"Because out of everyone that was in here, you're the only one I'm absolutely certain I can trust," Amber replied bluntly. "It's clear to me that we have a spy in the Hunters, possibly even within one of the commands here on Galisteo. And before you get offended about Yang, it isn't that I don't trust her, but she would confide in her girlfriend about what I just said, and-"

"-Nora doesn't have a brain-to-mouth filter," Ruby finished. "Yeah. And Weiss hasn't fought with us yet."

"She was given a raw deal, though; being dishonorably discharged simply because her superior successfully cast the blame for his mistakes and missteps onto her…." Amber trailed off, shaking her head. "God above I hate politics."

"What will we do about this raid? The Grimm?"

"We're going to pull out," was the reply. "This raid has failed, as we have not located any signs of a military build up, unless you count the Grimm. And as far as they are concerned….as much as I want to wipe them out as our oath requires, we are severely outnumbered. Trying to destroy them all will instead destroy all of us and only half of them at best."

"They won't let us go without a fight, which is probably why you're having our 'Mechs prepped for combat rather than withdrawal."

"Exactly. I'd have insisted on all of our vehicles being loaded onto the _Emerald Forest_ and _Lake Matsu_ , but those hovers are fast and agile," Amber said. "With Demon Lance on the perimeter, we'll have ample warning of the Grimm approaching, and Mercury Lance can help them hold the line long enough for our 'Mechs to get there. Once Ranger Company engages the Grimm, I'll have Captain Argyle load up and lift off, along with Morgan."

"Velvet and Fox can perform strafing runs to buy us time to break off," Ruby suggested.

"I would agree with that, but there is the danger of the Marik fighters dropping in on them in the process." Amber sighed heavily, and looked at Summer's daughter. "But we might have to do just that, when they attack."

 ***TCD***

 _Somewhere on the Texarkana_

 _Plains,_

 _Galisteo_

 _Free Worlds League_

 _13 January 3026_

Raven and Qrow had taken a pair of IndustrialMechs - ED-X1 _Crosscuts_ , a 'ForestryMech' model that employed a fusion engine rather than an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) - from their modified _Lion_ -class DropShip _Corvidae_ when they'd gone to town; after all, everyone on Galisteo used IndustrialMechs for travel outside of the townships and ranches. They'd used cosmetic 'shells' and smoke dispensers to disguise their _Crosscut-X1s_ as the ICE-powered version, as the last thing they needed was for news about them to get out. Their _Scout_ -class JumpShip, the _Murder_ , had entered the Galisteo system via a pirate point, and they'd made a silent run to the planet, keeping their electronic emissions to a minimum and employing every trick the _Corvidae_ 's ex-pirate captain knew to evade sensor detection to land unnoticed on the Texarkana plains. A merchant DropShip had landed around the same time as they had, so they had passed themselves off as new arrivals from it. And during the time Ranger Company was engaging the Beowolf Legion, they'd made a circuitous journey to the _Corvidae_ in order to throw off any potential tails. Upon reaching the DropShip, Raven had put everyone on high alert, and had the BattleMechs readied for action. Rather than deploy in a full lance of 4 with a demi-lance of 2, Raven had organized the BattleMechs into 2 lances of 3 each, with the two _Crosscut-X1s_ serving as a guard for the DropShip. Normally, IndustrialMechs were of little worry to a BattleMech, but the _Crosscut-X1s_ Raven had were modified. Their left shoulders were modified and rebuilt by a tech firm based on Solaris VII in the Lyran Commonwealth to allow for easy removal and reattachment. This allowed them to be used as normal IndustrialMechs - as they'd been deployed as during the trip to town - or as combat-capable 'SecurityMechs'; their 'combat arm' necessitated the removal of any extraneous weight beyond the right arm-mounted chainsaw, of course, but allowed the two ForestryMechs to mount up to an an AC/2 with a ton of ammunition.

Naturally, Raven's _Crosscut-X1s_ mounted energy weapons thanks to their fusion engines. And they were pretty much on a level with Light-class BattleMechs thanks to the fact that they also mounted as much BattleMech-grade armor as their frames could handle.

"Here's how I want things done, you assholes," Raven growled. "I'll take Shadow Lance and move in on the Grimm. I want Whiskey Lance to hang back and keep an eye on the Hunters's deployment zone; they're heavily outnumbered here and might need assistance pulling out. Doppelganger Lance will provide security for the DropShip, but I want it ready to dust off the moment our 'Mechs walk back on board." She looked around at her MechWarriors, fighter pilots, and everyone else in the 'Mech Bay - including the _Corvidae_ 's captain. "I know I've avoided them for almost a decade, but we knew that wouldn't last. And don't _you_ say _anything_ ," she growled that last sentence at her brother. Qrow tried and failed to pull off a "Who, me?" expression.

"What about air cover, boss?" asked the squadron leader.

"Carrion Squadron won't deploy until after we've left Galisteo," she replied. "The only exception will be if the Marik fighters make a showing. Make sure the _Transits_ have a full load of autocannon ammo."

"What's the status on the Hunters?" another pilot asked.

"From what we learned before hightailing it back here," Qrow responded, drawing a dark look from Raven, "only the _Forever Fall_ , _Emerald Forest_ , and _Lake Matsu_ are on Galisteo. So they only have a pair of _Corsairs_. It's possible that there is a _Leopard-CV_ in orbit, but our hidden observational satellite hasn't picked up any sign of an orbiting DropShip. So someone's hung them out to dry."

"What we will do is take Shadow Lance in and provide any needed support," Raven added. "If necessary, Whiskey Lance will move in and support Ranger Company. Whatever the hell is going on doesn't matter; my kids are here and I sure as hell won't let them get killed if I can help it."

 **E/N:** So now there's proof of a spy, things are looking 'Grimm' for the Hunters, and Raven's about to move onto the scene. Hope y'all enjoyed it, and keep an eye out for the next chapter. Never miss a beat.


	13. 12 - Battle of Galisteo Part 3

_In a time of unceasing warfare,_

 _The legacy of a fallen age,_

 _Empires fight for an ancient throne_

 _Battles are waged across the stars,_

 _Fought by giant engines of war known as_

 _BattleMechs_

 _But not all battles are fought with from a cockpit,_

 _And some battles have stakes_

 _Higher than victory or defeat._

12 – Battle of Galisteo Pt 3

 _Texarkana Plains,_

 _Galisteo, Tamarind Province_

 _Free Worlds League_

 _13 January 3026_

The Grimm had driven them from the field of battle, yet had made no move to chase after them. Sure, they'd lost two companies of 'Mechs - mostly Lights and some Mediums - to mixed-weight company, but that still left them with roughly a reinforced battalion, so Ranger Company was badly outnumbered. Even with Lightning Company's hover vehicles, they were still facing overwhelming odds. The raid had failed, obviously, and the Hunters' command was prepping for withdrawal. What kept them from immediately doing so was the uncertainty of the information about the Marik aerospace strength on-world. As the 'Mechs would be the quickest to load up, Rapier and Lightning companies were in the process of loading onto the _Condor_ \- and _Buccaneer_ -class DropShips they were attached to. Amber, from the observation deck of the _Union_ -class _Forever Fall_ , watched the process. Ren and Blake, along with Coco and Yatsuhashi, were patrolling the perimeter. The _Assassin_ and the _Spider_ had the speed to cover the perimeter, as well as to reach the Heavy-class _Marauder_ and _Warhammer_ , which had the range and firepower to cover them until the rest of the company could be deployed.

With a sigh, she turned back to the other people in the lounge with her. Though Coco Adel was nominally a lance leader, she'd opted to have Yang sit-in for her. Ruby, her second lance leader, was present as well - though she was silent from anger. Velvet and Fox were providing air cover for the DropShips, though considering what Aerospace Fighters Marik still had on-world it was doubtful that the two Medium-class _Corsairs_ would be able to do much. Also present were the commanders of Rapier and Lightning Companies, captains Morgan and Argyle. The newest Hunter and the _Fall_ 's Tactical Officer, Weiss Schnee, was also present as Captain Vernal was occupied with prepping the ship for emergency launch

"It's obvious that this raid failed," she began without preamble. "As the on-scene commander, I'm making the call to pull out. Right now only the 'Mechs will be out, since we can pack them away faster than the tanks."

"The infantry has already boarded and packed away," Captain Morgan reported. "The DropShip is finishing up preparations for launch."

"Excellent," Amber said. "Normally, I'd authorize you to launch immediately, but considering that this was obviously a trap we can't risk solo runs."

"They have to know we'll pull out," Ruby pointed out. "I know we've all sworn an oath to annihilate the Grimm for what they've done, but hanging around is blatantly stupid so they have to be expecting us to pull out."

"And even if we have our fighters providing cover, that's just one Aero-Lance against at least three squadrons of Marik fighters," Weiss added in. "As good as Velvet and Fox are, even two _Corsair_ s will succumb to sheer numbers."

"All good points," their CO agreed. "While waiting gives them a better chance to hit us during final loading and launch preparations as well as allowing them to bring more force to bear on us, launching as each DropShip is ready leaves them all vulnerable. So once all of the infantry and armor assets are loaded we'll begin loading the 'Mechs."

Yang waved a hand for permission to speak and said, "The problem I see there is which ones will be the last to load. Do we leave out the lighter, faster units as they can get on board faster, or the heavier ones which would have the greater endurance to handle withdrawing under fire?" Before Amber could answer, the warning klaxon sounded.

" _Major Amber, this is Captain Vernal,"_ the _Fall_ 's captain said over the comm, also maintaining the tradition of ground-pounder captains getting a ceremonial 'promotion' to major as there can only be one captain aboard a ship. " _The recon flight has spotted a formation of Grimm 'Mechs moving towards us. Estimate puts them about thirty minutes from the perimeter."_

"Deploy my lance for an assault," she ordered. "Get Coco and Yatsuhashi aboard, and have all 'Mechs locked into their repair gantries."

"Captain, that's suicide!" Ruby objected. "A single lance against all of that?!"

"We don't have a choice, _Lieutenant_ ," Amber replied, stressing Ruby's rank - which mattered not to the crimsonette.

"Like hell we don't!" she insisted. "You always told me that when we have no choice, it's only because we're missing the obvious solution."

"And what, by ComStar's supposed righteousness, is the obvious solution?"

"We're facing the Beowolf Legion, according to the unit identifier on their machines matching our Warbook programs," Ruby responded. "They rely mostly on Light- and Medium-class BattleMechs built more for speed than firepower and endurance, utilizing wolf pack tactics to bring down hardier enemies. The _Fall_ possesses good ranged firepower. If we set our battleline inside the effective ranges of both systems, we can hammer them enough to buy us time to evacuate Galisteo."

Amber was silent for a moment, considering Ruby's proposed course of action. It had merit, and was a good plan under the circumstances - which told the experienced officer that the younger woman had definitely been paying attention in her strategies and tactics courses.

"I have to agree with Lieutenant Rose," Weiss spoke up. "Typically, Lyran tactics are to commit as much force as possible against the objective and bull over it. Based on the reviews of the last engagement, and previous Hunters engagements against this particular unit, they utilize a mixture of Capellan mobility tactics and Lyran brute force preference. I'd like to recommend an adjustment to the lieutenant's plan: deploy one of the lighter lances behind the effective range of the DropShip's class-5 autocannons, and have the other two lances - under full emission dark protocols, sneak their way around both sides of the Beowolves."

"Both of you raise good points, and have offered good alternatives," Amber agreed slowly. "Very well. We'll go with Lieutenant Rose's plan, with Lieutenant Schnee's suggestions. I'll lead my lance along the left flank, and Lieutenant Adel's lance will march around the right. Ruby, your lance will be the 'bait', so I want you to stay sharp and focused. It's not just your lance on the line right now, it's the entire command."

"Wait. What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that as this was your plan, approved though it is by me, you're in charge of it," the brunette explained. "It's up to you to keep us safe, and to execute the plan. Remember, though, that while a battle plan is always a good idea, a better one is a battle plan that can be easily adjusted and isn't rigidly followed."

 ***TCD***

Ten minutes later Coco and Amber's lances set out on their flanking/pincer maneuvers, with Ruby's lance - consisting of herself in her _Phoenix Hawk_ , Ren in his _Assassin_ , Blake in her _Spider_ , and Pyrrha in her _Dervish_ \- taking the center position a few meters behind the _Fall_ 's effective AC/5 range. The latest reports from Velvet and Fox - streamed directly to each lance leader's battle computer as well as the tactical operations center on the DropShip itself - indicated that the Grimm 'Mechs were splitting up into two groups, with the second group lagging behind and itself diverging into two different groups that split to the sides. While it was uncertain if they knew about the flanking maneuvers or were executing their own strategy, it lessened the assault that Rose Lance would have to deal with.

What was worrying Amber, as she lead the command lance on its flanking march, was the lack of vehicles. She knew that the Beowolf Legion had several companies of fast hover tanks - including those lightly armed but fast as hell Savannah Masters - but they had yet to make an appearance. She still found it hard to believe that in the roughly eight years since The Betrayal Salem had been able to build her Grimm to several battalions in size while the Hunters barely managed to field a regiment, if that. And that their aerospace assets were barely adequate. She definitely planned on having words with Ozpin after they managed to blunt this assault and withdraw from Galisteo. Ahead of her, she watched as the _JagerMech_ in her lance swiveled its torso left and right, the paired autocannon arms raised up and ready; like the _Rifleman_ at the tail end of the lance's line-astern formation, the 65-ton _JagerMech_ mounted a sensor array that was well-suited to both anti-air and ground-to-ground engagements. The _Rifleman_ 's high heat curve was the reason she had it at the back, as well as the fact that the Mydron Model D Light Autocannons in each arm of the _JagerMech_ \- while having a damage curve similar to machine guns - had a longer range than the former's AC/5s. She had herself in the third position of the formation, as her _Thug_ 's hard-hitting PPCs could deal the most damage at range but generated a lot of heat. The 75-ton _Orion_ 'just' ahead of her mounted an LRM battery as well as an AC/10, making it well suited to provide support for the _JagerMech_.

"I don't like this," she muttered, though she hadn't really liked anything about this mission - Ruby's own misgivings notwithstanding. After all, she'd survived Salem's attack on her original lance, though barely, so she had little faith in Ozpin's leadership as it seemed like he always preferred to wait until after shit had hit the fan to act, or would reprimand those who chose to act before he wanted anyone to. She keyed her comm, keeping it to strictly short-range and speaking only to her lance.

"Eyes sharp, everyone," she ordered. "We should be near the Grimm, or almost. I don't want us to get caught with our pants down." The acknowledgements rolled in, but Amber still couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go disastrously wrong.

 ***TCD***

Raven sidestepped her 'Mech, the 35-ton machine making an awkward-looking bobbing motion as it moved, to avoid the SRMs that would've impacted her RVN-1X-R had she not moved. Locking on to the Scimitar that had fired at her, she triggered the two Medium Lasers she carried and sliced into the hover tank's 'skirt', ripping a massive tear into it and causing air to spill out, which lead to the tank crashing into the ground and flipping over and over before it landed on its dorsal surface. When she had first 'acquired' her RVN-1X _Raven_ from a Capellan warehouse, it had mounted both Medium Lasers in the right arm; she'd had one of them moved to a left arm mount to give her a better field of fire as well as to cover a weakness. Right now the Electronic Warfare System the prototype mounted was working as its creators had intended so her lance was covered from detection - as well as preventing the Beowolf vehicles from calling out a warning to their 'Mech assets. In this endeavor she was assisted by the pair of CTF-0X _Cataphracts_ that her small command had stolen at the same time as her RVN-1X. Acting in a 'sheep dog' position were the pair of LCT-1E _Locusts_ that rounded out her force. Though not as fast as the Grimm hovercraft, the pair of 25-ton 'Mechs were the fastest ones in her command and were more capable of corralling them.

A Saladin exploded nearby as its armor was ripped up by autocannon and laser fire, her brother's _Blackjack_ moving into view.

" _Raven, these guys were obviously meant as part of trap,"_ he radioed her, using the line-of-sight laser comm to get through the jamming Shadow Lance was throwing out.

"Agreed," she said, twisting her 'Mech's torso and unloading an SRM salvo into the side of another Scimitar and hitting its ammo bin. "We've taken out about a company of these bastards so far; let the _Cataphracts_ drive the rest into a retreat, if not an outright rout, and we'll take the _Locusts_ and push on the landing zone."

" _I'll hang back with them, as my_ Blackjack _can't keep up with you,"_ he said.

"Just drive them off; at this point it won't matter if the Beowolf Legion's 'Mechs know we're here, as they won't be able to turn around to engage us."

" _Make it fast, Raven,"_ was all he said in reply - and all that he needed to say. Raven wheeled her _Raven_ around and ordered the pair of _Locusts_ to follow. While the lighter 'Mechs could easily outrun her, but they held in wedge formation with her at her machine's top speed of 97.2 kilometers per hour. This allowed her prototype 'Mech's experimental electronic warfare equipment to, if it kept working right, cover all three of them as they neared the battle. Raven began running diagnostics on her 'Mech, as engaging other BattleMechs was different than fighting conventional armor. Her Medium Lasers were fully charged and functional, the SRM launcher was reloaded though she was down to roughly half a ton of ammunition, and best of all the EW gear was functioning as it should. Overall, her RVN-1X had only suffered a five percent loss in armor. She checked in with her impromptu lancemates, and they also reported only minimal damage and fully charged weapons (the -1E model of the _Locust_ dropped the Machine Guns and ammo of the main variant in favor of a second Medium Laser and a pair of Small Lasers, in a Medium/Small combo in each 'arm').

"Listen up," she said after the status updates. "We'll have friendlies on the scans, even if they won't show up as such. The Legion favors fast, mobile 'Mechs and pack tactics, so stay close and cover each other." After getting the acknowledgements, Raven turned her attention to the upcoming intervention. She had no idea how her old unit would react to her appearance, especially when it would be revealed as her.

"I just hope they'll give me a chance," she muttered to herself, thinking of her daughters.

 ***TCD***

" _They're in sight,"_ Blake reported, her _Spider_ racing back towards the chosen battle line alongside Ren's _Assassin_. " _And my sensors reported, at their extreme range, signatures that match a_ Shadow Hawk _and the Commonwealth's new_ Hatchetman _design."_

"Those two will be the Alpha units," she commented, making sure her weapons were charged and ready. "We'll be at a definite disadvantage even with support from the _Fall_. If we had spotters, Ren and Pyrrha could lay down some indirect LRM fire."

" _That would have been a good, if mostly ineffective, idea,"_ Ren agreed as he and Blake reach the _Phoenix Hawk_ and _Dervish_ and set themselves in their positions. As both the _Spider_ and the _Assassin_ \- in spite of the latter being a 40-ton Medium-class machine - relied more on speed and mobility for defense rather than armor, Ruby had them set to act as a mobile element with her and Pyrrha anchoring their defensive line. Regardless, their purpose was to draw in the Beowolves to allow the _Forever Fall_ 's missiles to hammer them while Amber and Coco's lances slammed into the enemy force's flanks and (hopefully) rear. It didn't help that Ruby was feeling anxious and overwhelmed; Amber _had_ told her that the whole unit was, for this plan, under her command and that it was her responsibility. Just then her console lit up with warnings from the remote sensors they'd left deployed and tied-in (they had no need to pack those up, really, since the cost was covered in the contract and they were commercially available, though military grade, products).

"They've hit the grid," she called out, though it wasn't really necessary. She keyed up the _Fall_. "Lieutenant Schnee, contact on the outer line. Estimate weapons range in five minutes."

" _Confirmed, Rose Lead,"_ the ex-LCAF officer replied. " _We've got the signals from the targeting beacons, and our LRMs are locked and loaded. We'll fire on your signal, but remember the lines of fire for the autocannons."_

"I won't forget," she grumbled, shutting off the line to the DropShip. She knew that Weiss was within reason to remind her, but still irrationally felt like she was being scolded. Switching to her lance frequency, she said, "Listen up, Rose Lance. We play this out by the plan, adapting as needed. Keep each other covered, and _don't_ forget about the DropShip's weapons." There wasn't much time to say more, as the Beowolf Legion's lead elements came into visual range.

The hatch covers on the _Dervish_ 's torso-mounted LRM-10 launchers opened up, and it was momentarily shrouded in light smoke as twenty missiles shot up and away on tails of flame, followed by the five-missile salvo from Ren's _Assassin_. The twenty-five missiles slammed into the front line of 'Mechs, shattering armor, actuators, and weapons. Two of the four, one a _Wasp_ that had apparently swapped its SRM-2 and ammo for a pair of Rocket Launchers and the other a _Stinger_ , exploded from the impacts of missiles (the _Wasp_ 's rockets exploding and ripping the machine apart while the _Stinger_ 's fusion plant went critical from a lucky LRM detonating inside), while the other two were heavily battered - though only one kept moving as the other collapsed from it's pilot being killed after a couple of LRMs detonated against and shattered the canopy. As the missile launchers reloaded, more and more Grimm 'Mechs surged forward with the intention of overwhelming the Hunters.

Until a massive salvo of DropShip-fired LRMs slammed into the midst of the Grimm formation, having been triggered by a static-burst from Ruby right as Pyrrha and Ren's own LRMs hit the leading units.

It was obvious that the Beowolf Legion was caught off guard by the barrage, as well as being split in half. As Rose Lance prepared for when the disorientation wore off, which wouldn't last long, Ruby felt the potentially crushing weight of responsibility and wondered how the other two lances were faring.

 ***TCD***

" _They've hit the line!"_ Yang yelled over the commline, though thanks to remote sensors Coco saw the data as well. She didn't say anything about it, though, as not only were the Hunters less strict than House units (but still maintained military decorum and protocol) but she knew that the blonde MechWarrior was worried for her sister. Though with more time in grade than the crimsonette, Coco knew that Ruby had greater potential as a leader and trusted in Amber's judgement, though she hoped the younger woman was up to the challenge.

"Move to line abreast and accelerate to maximum speed," she ordered, wheeling her _Marauder_ to the left and moving the throttle to its stop. The large 75-ton machine lumbered forward in mincing run thanks to its reverse-jointed legs, Yatsuhashi's 70-ton _Warhammer_ moving alongside her. The lighter armored _Hunchbacks_ of Yang and Nora behind and between the pair of Heavy-class 'Mechs, though only Nora's LRM-equipped variant had a ranged bite since Yang's still retained the massive class-20 autocannon that was the design's trademark. As all four designs had the same top speed, it was easy to stay in formation and it wasn't long before their own sensors blared alerts to the signals of hostile units. Coco throttled back and edged closer to Nora's " _Swayback"_ to support it as they held back to use their long-range weapons to hammer the Grimm 'Mechs. Yatsu kept pace with Yang, as her AC/20 was a close-in weapon that would easily make work of the lighter designs ahead of it; even though the large MechWarrior's ride mounted a PPC in each arm, the majority of its loadout was geared towards closer-ranged combat.

Coco locked on to a Grimm _Jenner_ , a bit surprised that a principally Kurita design was in Marik space, and triggered her left arm PPC, the searing bolt of man-made lightning surging forth before slamming into the 35-tonner and shoving it hard even as armor and internals gave way right before the heat and electricity flickered into its SRM ammo bin. The explosion from the light-class 'Mech knocked over another pair of Grimm machines, even as its right side weapon pod spiraled away to slam into the lightly-armored head of a _Stinger_ , killing its pilot immediately. Her right arm PPC spoke right as the _Jenner_ exploded, its bolt tearing into - but not killing - a 40-ton _Cicada_ , which turned towards her and began running at its top speed. It didn't get far before it literally exploded - though the legs kept moving for a few more seconds - as it came into range of Yang's AC/20. Even in pristine condition, a _Cicada_ 's armor wouldn't have been able to withstand a single burst from the massive gun. LRMs from Nora slammed into other Grimm 'Mechs, ripping the arm from a _Wasp_ and cratering its chest armor to mere memory. If she stayed true to practice, she'd fire off a couple more salvos before attempting to close to melee range and use the hammer clutched in the right hand of her modified _Hunchback_. She watched as Yatsuhashi targeted another _Cicada_ with both PPCs and let loose, killing yet another Grimm.

"Where the hell is Salem getting these idiots?" she asked in the confines of her cockpit as Yang moved her 'Mech up to shield the larger _Warhammer_ while it vented the heat from both particle cannons. An indicator on one of her tertiary displays lit up, showing that she was now in range to engage her dorsal-mounted Large Laser. Pivoting the _Marauder_ 's torso, she fired the weapon at a _Locust_ , but the scarlet beam only seared and popped armor plates as the lighter machine managed to mostly evade the shot - until a flight of fifteen LRMs slammed into the weakened armor and destroyed it along with some internals. The 25-tonner's reactor shut down, as at least one of the missiles had cracked the reactor shielding badly enough to breach it, which had caused the computer to engage the dampening fields to prevent a reactor failure. A return flight of five missiles slammed into the _Hunchback_ 's left torso, indicating that at least one of the 'Mechs - probably a _Jenner_ \- had swapped the typical SRM launcher for an LRM system.

And while the Grimm may have been falling even as they attempted to redirect their assault, Coco couldn't the ball of dread that formed in her gut.

 ***TCD***

Amber fired off a one-two punch from her 80-ton _Thug_ 's PPCs, watching as they slammed into the Grimm _Hatchetman_ leading the assault against her lance. It was faster than the Lyran model being produced by Defiance Industries on Hesperus II, as well as lacking the class-10 autocannon the in-fighter design usually carried. The fact that its hatchet was on the left arm rather than the right arm wasn't a major concern. As the 45-ton 'Mech picked itself back up from being knocked down by her strike, she also noted that it seemed a bit better armored than the standard model as well. She readied her torso-mounted SRM-4s, the covers irising open, when a massive force slammed into her 'Mech's back, ripping apart armor that had been razed by repeated strafing attacks by the much lighter and faster Grimm 'Mechs. The brutish-looking 'Mech staggered forward, almost pitching cockpit-first into the ground, before she was able to recover. A subconscious glance at her damage display showed her rear armor virtually gone across the right and center areas, as well as the ammo-feed for her right torso SRM launcher shattered; she was lucky nothing had ricocheted into the ammo bin or the live rounds in the tubes. What shocked her more, though, was the machine that had fired upon her: it was a 60-ton _Rifleman_ whose IFF (Identify Friend-Foe) tag indicated it was one of hers.

"Jaune," she said, stunned. She couldn't believe he would turn on them, even though Salem had done it almost a decade ago. She attempted to turn her 'Mech around, or at least the torso to bring a PPC to bear, but the assault-class 'Mech was moving slow due to the heat build-up from firing both heavy cannons, not that the traitor would give her time. Her rear camera, though certainly not good with resolution, picked up the tell-tale flash of autocannon fire right as the _Rifleman_ 's arm-mounted Large Lasers slammed into her rear armor again, followed seconds later by the shots from its AC/5s. With no armor on most of her rear torso, the shots ripped through the internal structure and components, touching off the SRM ammo and cracking the fusion plant's shielding. In one motion, Amber raised her _Thug_ 's arms and fired off the PPCs into the _Hatchetman_ ahead of her, while triggering a burst transmission to the _Forever Fall_ that she'd had keyed into her comm array's message buffer ever since they'd landed on Galisteo. The high heat, combined with the exploding missiles in her right torso, detonated the left torso SRMs as well as overloading the reactor. The massive _Thug_ , at the 'light' end of the assault-class range of BattleMechs, essentially vaporized right then, shrapnel scattering across the immediate area and battering Jaune Arc's _Rifleman_.

Amber's death attracted the attention of the lance's _JagerMech_ , which turned to engage the slightly lighter _Rifleman_ as its pilot realized what had happened. Unfortunately, the other AA-oriented 'Mech had weaker rear armor than the _Rifleman_ and Medium Lasers from multiple Grimm light-class 'Mechs slammed into and through the forged crystalline-steel plating, piercing the autocannon ammo bins before the pilot could eject. That just left the _Orion_ , which - though battered and bruised - was standing its ground, its autocannon and lasers firing and hitting their targets as the SRMs shattered plating. Even its LRM-15 launcher was firing, though engaging targets further away. Jaune, his _Rifleman_ making its slow but steady way to the last Hunter 'Mech, watched as its chest exploded outward, shortly followed by the cockpit as the MechWarrior inside ejected - only to be cut down by a Medium Laser. As the 75-ton BattleMech collapsed, it revealed a heavily modified 55-ton _Shadow Hawk_ behind it. Unlike the standard models - and even field modified variants - this Beowolf Legion _Shadow Hawk_ had dropped a lot of its standard gear to cram an AC/20 into the right torso. The blond attempted to raise the Beowolf Alpha, but had to immediately shut it off as static and warbling burst out of the cockpit speakers.

"What the hell?" he asked, as he knew that there weren't any jamming systems deployed in the area, by either side. His sensors seemed to be having issues as well, flickering between actual readings and possibly false returns but not being able to determine which was which. Then his console indicated an incoming line-of-sight lasercom, and he flicked a switch.

" _There weren't supposed to be any jamming assets in this area. Care to explain?"_ came the voice of the Alpha.

"The Hunters didn't deploy any this far away," he replied. "Only the command lance was to come this way."

" _Then there's someone else here. Reinforce our line and get ready."_ The _Shadow Hawk_ turned away and walked off towards where the battle with Rose Lance was bogging down thanks to the intervention of the _Forever Fall_ and the other two DropShips. Three Grimm 'Mechs - a _Panther_ and a pair of _Wolverines_ \- linked up with him.

" _The Alpha has detailed us as your lancemates,"_ came a woman's voice from one of the _Wolverines_.

"Right," Jaune replied. He turned his lumbering 60-ton machine around and checked the status of his autocannon rounds. He was down to about three-fourths of his total load, and his heat level was now edging down into the blue; the _Rifleman_ wasn't good at venting heat, especially if the Large Lasers were repeatedly fired. "Let's locate the source of the jamming and take it out."

 ***TCD***

"We can't keep this up," Ruby said to herself as she side-stepped a charging _Jenner_ and brought her 'Mech's left arm down onto its side, denting the armor slightly and staggering the lighter 'Mech. Before it could recover, she triggered the left arm's Medium Laser into the 35-tonner's left hip, the emerald beam melting the housing and locking the joint up. She didn't have time to follow up the strike before a blast of charged particles slammed into her _Phoenix Hawk_ , shattering armor as she staggered back. A quick, unaimed shot from her Large Laser was lucky enough to punch through the canopy of the _Panther_ that had hit her. She slapped her comm switch, opening up the unit's frequency. "Everyone fall back to the DropShip!" she ordered.

" _Ruby, Coco's lance will need time to rejoin us,"_ Pyrrha pointed out as she bashed in the head of a _Cicada_ with her _Dervish_ 's blocky SRM launcher, then fired off some of the last rounds in the one of the opposite arm. The two missiles spiraled out, slamming into a _Stinger_.

"We won't pull out without them, but we need to begin falling back," she pointed out.

" _We can't break away without taking heavy damage,"_ Blake pointed out, using her _Spider_ 's speed and jump capacity to avoid taking damage.

"Then we'll give them something else to focus on," she replied, accelerating her _P-Hawk_ to its top speed before anyone could catch on. She'd made seven steps before her commline erupted, but her only response was to order them to fall back before cutting off that system. A Grimm _Locust_ in front of her tried to back pedal, wanting to break away from the apparently mad _Phoenix Hawk_ but didn't get enough distance before she was upon it. A hit from her left fist disoriented the pilot enough for her to work behind the 25-ton scout. Getting a grip on the projecting shoulders, just inside of the dual laser mounts of the LCT-1E, and wrenched it around. A quick stomp ruined one of its leg actuators, and the pilot began panicking as he became aware of the situation. Firing in a panic, the blasts from the Medium and Small Lasers in its 'arms' impacted with its own allies as the crimsonette used it as an impromptu turret. Return fire peppered the lighter 'Mech's hull, as well as the frontal armor of her own 'Mech, though the captured Grimm machine was taking the worst of it. She triggered her right arm's Large Laser, and by pure luck blew out the knee actuator of an opposing _Phoenix Hawk_.

By now all of the enemy was focused on her, and some of them were trying to dash around to target her weaker rear armor. A noise from her console drew her attention and showed that her sensors had picked up the IFF tags of Hammer Lance at the extreme edge of her maximum range (which was usually set to the effective range of her Large Laser). PPC fire from Coco's _Marauder_ and Yatsu's _Warhammer_ were impacting Grimm 'Mechs, drawing pressure off of her, but there was no sign of Amber's lance. Airborne laser fire fell amongst the enemy, and the two _Corsairs_ attached to the Rangers flew past. Ruby spotted movement out of the corner of her eye and snapped her head around to see, outside of her viewport, the shape of a somewhat heavier _Shadow Hawk_. Only this one had a much larger cannon on its shoulder than was typical for the design, her sensors showing that not only was the 55-tonner only 150 meters away, but the autocannon was a class-20 - and was aimed right at her.

"Oh, fuck me sideways," she muttered, pivoting her 'Mech and dragging the _Locust_ around. She saw the gun's muzzle erupt in smoke and fire and the next thing she knew her head was bouncing off the headrest of her ejection seat, causing her to bite her tongue as well as see stars. Alarms were blaring all around her, the cockpit's various displays warning of multiple problems, but Ruby couldn't focus on any of it; it was all she could do to stay conscious.

Pyrrha had seen it, though. She had seen the modified _Shadow Hawk_ fire on Ruby and her 'hostage', had seen the 200mm shells rip through and up the _Locust_ , with one ripping through the left arm of her lance leader's 'Mech. She'd seen the light 'Mech's fusion reactor go critical, the explosion throwing Ruby's _Phoenix Hawk_ back hard. She targeted the Grimm BattleMech, the hatches on her LRM-10s opening up, only for her computer to warn her that her missile ammunition was depleted. She was out of range for her arm-mounted Medium Lasers and SRM-2s, which down to two salvos each. And as her _Dervish_ didn't have hand actuators, she couldn't run down and drag the damaged _P-Hawk_ out of the battle zone. Laser blasts impacted against and around the _Shadow Hawk_ , forcing it to step backwards and increasing the distance from Ruby's fallen 'Mech. Pyrrha's sensors showed the two _Corsairs_ banking away, though it was obvious that one of them was intending to come back around for another pass at the Grimm commander. Engaging her 'Mech's jump jets, Pyrrha jetted forward 150 meters and flexed the _Dervish_ 's knees as she landed to better absorb the impact and lessen the strain on the hydraulics and actuators. Rising up, she kicked her 'Mech into a run, trying to close the distance with the enemy. Blake and Ren raced past her, the 40-ton _Assassin_ launching off a flight of LRMs at the _Shadow Hawk_ as the two faster 'Mechs closed to engagement range.

Pyrrha was still out of her weapons' range when the Beowolf Alpha was hit by blasts from Particle Projection Cannons, stripping it of armor. The medium-class 'Mech staggered and nearly fell even as its left arm dropped off from melted and burned actuators and myomer. A full lance of _Cicadas_ charged in, Medium and Small Lasers firing at the Hunters in order to drive them away from the _Shadow Hawk_. Judging the distance, Pyrrha engaged her jump jets and rocketed her _Dervish_ into the air. With a quick burst from her left side jets, she adjusted her course and came down right on top of a _Cicada_ , crushing its cockpit and knocking herself to the ground. Planting her 'Mech's handless arms on the ground, she lifted up her front torso and watched as Coco's lance came in to drive the Grimm from Ruby's fallen _Phoenix Hawk_ while Blake and Ren kept the lighter and faster Grimm BattleMechs from circling around them. As the redhead brought her 'Mech back to its feet, she pondered the absence of the command lance - and the feeling of dread the thought provoked.

 ***TCD***

Jaune and his Grimm lancemates, along with support from a second lance consisting of a single _Panther_ , a pair of _Wasps_ , and a modified _Jenner_ , were currently in an unexpected firefight. A pair of _Locusts_ bearing markings he was unfamiliar with, along with another bird-like 'Mech that wasn't in his _Rifleman_ 's Warbook program, had ambushed the two lances after they'd moved away from the rest of the Legion. While unable to hit as hard as them, the mysterious interlopers were faster than the majority of his machines and the mystery 'Mech's pilot seemed to be of a caliber beyond them. His 60-ton machine's armor was still holding up well, especially as one of the _Wolverines_ was covering his thinly armored rear.

Then the situation seemed to waver as another three 'Mechs approached the battle, two of them unknown but obviously heavy-class designs and the third a lighter but more well known _Blackjack_. Jaune was surprised, though, when the _Blackjack_ hit him with a pair of Large Laser beams rather than the more familiar AC/2s; then his computer tagged it as a BJ-1DB rather than the more common BJ-1. The two mystery heavies, which bore some resemblance to the _Marauder_ , hit his two lances with a single PPC strike from each as well as a salvo from autocannons of a caliber with the two his _Rifleman_ carried. The two _Locusts_ tag-teamed one of his _Wolverines_ , the concerted attack from their lasers slicing into the 55-ton and piercing its SRM ammunition bin. The resulting explosion sent shrapnel everywhere, with one piece slicing into the leg of the _Jenner_ and giving it a limp. Jaune bracketed one of the _Locusts_ with his autocannons, causing it to pause for a split-second - in which he hit it with his Large Lasers. The light 'Mech's armor melted and ran under the beams, severing its left 'wing' and damaging its reactor shielding. Before he could capitalize on the advantage, his 'Mech was staggered by explosions against his rear armor. A check of his compressed 360-degree tactical display showed the unknown light 'Mech dashing away, and he guessed it was an SRM strike that had pretty much stripped his rear torso of armor. He attempted to rotate his _Rifleman_ 's arms 180-degrees to fire into his rear arc, but the other 'Mech was out of the line of fire by the time they came around. He brought them back up and around to the front, but wasn't fast enough to prevent one of the heavies from landing a PPC strike against him.

"Who the hell are these people?" he asked, struggling not to panic. While the Grimm MechWarriors were used to pack tactics and guerilla-style combat, it was obvious that their opponents were more experienced in such fighting and against numerically and weightier opposition. Plus there was whatever equipment or device they had that was interfering with sensors and communications, which further lessened the effectiveness of the Grimm. The ex-Hunter managed to guess that he was down by at least a lance, with the _Wolverine_ and _Jenner_ definitely disabled or destroyed. Twisting his 'Mech's torso to track one of the unknown heavies showed him the prone form of a _Panther_ sans its head, confirming three down. Thanks to whatever jamming was going on, he was unable to get a solid lock on his target and used his blinking crosshares to make a 'best-guess' strike. Both Medium Lasers and only one of his autocannons hit one of the unknown heavies, maring and pockmarking armor plating and causing the heat levels in his cockpit to spike heavily under the draw from the reactor. His target triggered off its own weapons, the emerald beams of a pair of Medium Lasers teaming up with an autocannon burst penetrate armor on his last _Wolverine_. The medium 'Mech staggered back from the impact and loss of armor, but managed to remain on its feet and retaliated with its own autocannon and laser. A flat _bang_ sounded at the same time as a massive explosion rocked his 'Mech, making it stumble forward and almost pitch to the ground. A quick check showed that his right rear armor was gone, along with his right arm, due to an ammunition explosion. Fortunately, he'd only had one reload left in the bin for that gun, which explained why it wasn't worse. The same birdlike 'Mech darted in front of him, and he snap-fired his Medium Lasers, turning his cockpit into an oven, though it was somewhat worth it as one of the beams seared a line across the lighter 'Mech's torso. His grin faded, though, as it stopped and pivoted to face him, bringing what his sensors said were a pair of Medium Lasers and an SRM launcher in line with his cockpit. With him. The emblem splashed across its beak-like nose was one he'd only seen in his reviews of the Hunters' personnel records. "Son of a-" was all he had time to say, as emerald beams and high explosive missiles converged on his cockpit.

Raven watched without remorse as smoke and fire billowed out of the _Rifleman_ 's cockpit, the heavy 'Mech in Hunters combat colors falling to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut. Judging by the fact that they had yet to encounter a _Thug_ , the raven-haired woman knew that her lances were too late to save Amber. Her two _Cataphracts_ double-teamed the remaining _Wolverine_ , their PPCs coring the medium-class BattleMech while Qrow fired his four Medium Lasers into a _Panther_ , one being lucky enough to pierce its reactor and forcing the computer to shut it down (her brother had exchanged both AC/2s and the single ton of ammunition for the two heavy lasers, and 3 additional Heat Sinks - although they weren't enough to dissipate the heat fast enough). Raven thumbed the button on her console that shut of her _Raven_ 's EW gear, and flicked her comm three times, the 'pulses' still able to be picked up by the _Cataphract-0Xs_. Their MechWarriors shut off their own EW equipment, allowing all units in the area uninhibited use of sensors and comms. A quick check of her sensors showed that only a _Wasp_ and a _Panther_ were left of the Grimm 'Mechs, though it wasn't for two much longer as her five lancemates targeted them.

"Shadow and Flash Lances, form up on me," she commanded over the scrambled unit-wide commline. "We need to link up with the Hunters."

" _What about the_ Corvidae _?"_ Qrow asked.

"I'm going to have it link up with us at the Hunters' OZ," she answered. "Then we'll launch with them and provide additional cover to the Jump Point."

" _We came in at a Pirate Point, though."_

"Shut up, Qrow." Shutting off her comm as her six 'Mechs moved at the speed of the damaged _Locust_ , Raven isolated herself with her thoughts. Engaging the Grimm vehicles, and then those two 'Mech lances, hadn't given her much time for thought. But now that she had nothing to occupy her mind and distract her, her thoughts drifted to her daughters and how she'd pretty much abandoned them when they needed her the most. She didn't believe she deserved another chance, but nevertheless hoped they would at least listen to her before passing judgement. As her birdlike _Raven_ walked its way through the battlefield, she spotted the fallen form of Amber's _Thug_ , mostly intact but its torso blasted open from internal explosions. "Salem and her Grimm have caused us nothing but pain and heartache," she murmured as she moved along, her EW gear deactivated still. "You survived the Betrayal, only to fall at another one. Your killer has been brought to justice, but another still remains. No Grimm shall survive a Hunter's wrath." With that, her pseudo-eulogy was finished and she activated her comm unit.

"Remember," she said, "no sudden movements and keep your targeting systems off; right now they'll be on a hair trigger against unknowns."

" _What of the Grimm still between us and them?"_ one of her lancemates asked.

"They'll be falling back by now. After all, a full battalion of 'Mechs got destroyed or disabled by a company plus us. If anything, they'll need to retreat just to reform for a new assault."

" _Should the_ Corvidae _launch the fighters for strafing runs?"_ Qrow asked.

"Negative," Raven said. "It'll be too time-consuming to recover them for an immediate dust-off; as it is, we'll need to wait for the _Fall_ to recover its fighters before it can blast off."

" _This will be an interesting reunion."_

"Remember what I said about true but unhelpful comments?"

" _Not at all."_

"You're an ass, Qrow."

 ***TCD***

Coco watched as the Grimm fell back, the badly damaged _Shadow Hawk_ leading the way while a lance each of _Cicadas_ and Flamer-equipped _Jenners_ (the Medium Lasers having been moved from the arms to the torsos and the Flamers installed in the arms) acted as a screening force to keep the Hunters back while the main body withdrew. Not that the mercenaries cared at the moment; they were more concerned about Ruby and the missing command lance than chasing down the Beowolf Legion. Velvet's AirLance reported that there was a demi-company of 'Mechs approaching the battlefield, including three unknowns, but none of them had active targeting systems and did not sport Grimm colors. As Amber was unresponsive and MIA (Missing In Action), and Ruby was unconscious in her cockpit, the brunette from the Davion world of Mistral was currently the senior ranking MechWarrior and had requested that Lightning Company deploy its vehicles to assist the Ranger 'Mechs in securing a perimeter for repair and recovery efforts (the limited recovery assets they possessed also deployed). Yang's _Hunchback_ had taken up station next to her sister's prone _Phoenix Hawk_ , torso twisting back and forth as she tracked the retreating Grimm.

" _We've got a visual on those 'Mechs the fighters reported,"_ radioed one of Lightning's J. Edgar hover tanks. " _What should we do, Lieutenant?"_

"Let them approach," Coco said, moving her _Marauder_ in that direction. The 75-ton machine was battered from the recent fighting, it's armor scorched, melted, and pocked. The weapon-pod at the end of its right arm was rent open along the bottom outside portion, the Medium Laser disabled as a result of that (which had come from an alpha strike by a _Jenner_ ). A couple of Heat Sinks had also been destroyed, which meant she'd be running even hotter than normal, but she didn't think that would be an issue right now. As she neared the perimeter covered by Demon Lance, she saw that the newcomers had stopped and held their place. As Velvet had said, three of them were decidedly unfamiliar designs. Two of them, obviously in the heavy-class, bore a fairly strong resemblance to her own _Marauder_ , while the third could've been a variant of the two _Locusts_ with it except it had a narrower, more aerodynamic body and sported a missile launcher in the right torso. Painted on its nose, just under the cockpit window, was an emblem that Coco hadn't seen outside of the unit roster: what looked like a clock with a stylized bird wing over and to the left of it.

"Identify yourself," Coco said after activating her 'Mech's external speakers.

" _Is that little Coco?"_ came a voice she hadn't heard in almost a decade. " _A lance leader now, that's impressive."_ There was a sigh. " _In response to your challenge, I am Raven Branwen, commanding officer of Murder Company."_

"That's reassuring," was her sardonic reply.

" _It's a reference to what a group of Terran ravens or crows is called, you dingus."_

"What are you doing here?"

" _That's a conversation we don't have time for,"_ Raven replied. " _I'm not refusing to talk, mind you, but my DropShip is on the way to extract my lances, and the Beowolf Legion has only pulled back to regroup. There's enough time for salvage and recovery, but any repairs will need to be done enroute to the Jump Points."_

"We can't pull out until the command lance gets back," Coco replied. There was no reply from the older ex-Hunter, but the silence was heavy and told a lot.

" _They aren't coming, kid."_

 ***TCD***

 _Castle Grimm, Shadow Plains_

 _Epsilon, Stewart Commonwealth_

 _Free Worlds League_

 _10 January 3026_

Neo had always been a survivor, as had her partner Roman. While they had grown up on different worlds - Neo had been born on a Davion world that suffered from repeated predations by House Liao, while Roman was from a world on the Kurita border of the Davion realm - their lives had many parallels. And they both had a strong instinct when it came to their survival, usually able to get out when the getting was good. Right now, sitting in the cockpit of her _Stinger_ , Neo wondered if either of them would be able to get out of this. Neither she nor Roman were 'good' people, but they also weren't the monsters they'd seen the Grimm could be. The mission to a Lyran world - whose name they hadn't been told - was a case in point; they'd watched as the raiding force they'd been attached to not only slaughtered the defending House unit and planetary militia, but unarmed civilians as well. Neither her _Stinger_ nor Roman's _Phoenix Hawk_ were outfitted for anti-infantry operations, which was probably what had kept them alive when they hadn't participated in the massacres. They had watched as Grimm 'Mechs equipped with Machine Guns, Flamers, and Inferno-SRMs ran wild through the nearest population center.

Hearing about atrocities is one thing, witnessing them another.

"We need to get out of here," Roman grunted, shifting a bit. The much shorter heterochromatic woman looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "I don't just mean this coffin," he added; normally, the cockpit of the 20-ton _Stinger_ was cramped for MechWarriors, though it wasn't too bad for Neo, but with Roman in there with her so they could talk made it an exceptionally tight fit. She tilted her head to one side.

"No, I don't know how we can do it," he answered. "Salem pretty much owns this world, in spite of it supposedly belonging to House Marik, which means the Drop Port is heavily monitored."

Neo drew her finger across her throat.

"Yeah, I know we'll end up being dead either way, considering that witch's penchant for killing her own forces," he agreed, "but I'd like to live longer than the time it'd take to get from here to the Drop Port perimeter."

"Perhaps I can help with that," came a voice from the cockpit hatch. Snapping their heads over, the two of them saw Salem's chief lieutenant, Cinder Fall, standing there and felt themselves go cold with dread. "Oh, don't look like that. I may have been one of the original members of Salem's Grimm, but that doesn't mean I'm fanatical, nor blind to her actions."

"What are you saying?" the ginger asked, discretely letting a hand fall to the laser pistol holstered at his side.

"I'm saying that I'm not blind to what Salem's doing, what she's becoming. She doesn't tolerate failure, and all three of us know what usually happens to those who fail her."

Neo looked at her, her mismatched eyes seeming to switch colors.

"I've had my doubts about her over the past year, and especially in the last few months," Cinder replied. "I'm not one to quibble over civilian casualties, but killing them as the main purpose?" She shrugged. "Not my style. In three days, an independent trader will be touching down at Epsilon's main Drop Port. It's a _Union_ -class, so there will be plenty of space for a few 'Mechs. Especially as it still has a few 'Mech bays installed."

"How do you know all of that?" Roman asked, highly suspicious.

"I set it up to get out of here myself," she replied bluntly. "As well as Emerald and Mercury. Having our 'Mechs would be a quick way to generate some C-bills to get us started, which is why I needed this DropShip. There's enough space for the two of you, as well. I don't intend to rejoin the Hunters, and I doubt they'd let me back, but I don't intend to become Dispossessed."

Neo looked at Roman and hunched a shoulder.

"We don't really have a choice if we want to get out of here," he reluctantly agreed. "You know Salem won't just let us go."

"I know," Cinder said with a nod. "It'll be a running battle up to the spaceport, although I don't think Salem would risk going that far since she needs House Marik to believe she works for them. The local militia doesn't like or trust her - or us, really - but their heaviest BattleMechs are a pair of _Whitworths_ and a couple of _UrbanMechs_."

"Definitely not much help, then."

"Three days, you two," she reminded them, pulling her head out of the light 'Mech's cockpit and climbing down the aclove's ladder. She knew it was a risk, telling those two of her plans, but overhearing them talking about splitting away had decided her; she was rather fond of Neo, much to Emerald's dismay, and didn't want the younger woman to suffer the fate of those who crossed the 'Grimm Queen'.

Roman followed shortly after Cinder, making sure to check for anyone else in the 'Mech Bay before leaving himself. Neo, though, remained behind in her cockpit to lock down the controls and computer. She also picked up the eROM chip Cinder had left behind, which Roman hadn't noticed. The word 'Goodwitch' had been written on it, so the pink/brown-haired woman knew it wasn't meant for her. She didn't know who this 'Goodwitch' person was, but suspected she'd know when it was time.

 **E/N:** I am sorry it took me so long to update this, but I'd hit a bump and - in the process of taking time off from it to get past it - ended up forgetting about it until a week ago. I didn't want to lose the muse, so I took my time in working on this chapter, and I have to say I like what I've done.

 **Next Time, On Rose's Rangers: To Catch a Dream…...**

 _The escape from Galisteo has some surprising events for the Rangers, decisions are made, and the 'Fall Faction' makes its bid for freedom._


End file.
